Remember Me?
by dbella1130
Summary: Anastasia Steele is fostered by Grace and Carrick after her father becomes ill. How will Ana handle growing up with Christian, Elliot and Mia? And after she leaves and years pass, what will happen when Ana and Christian meet again?
1. Chapter 1: Hello, Goodbye

**A/N: This is a story I've actually had for a long time, I've just decided to finally post it.**

 **Premise: Anastasia Steele is fostered by Grace and Carrick after her father becomes ill. How will Ana handle growing up with Christian, Elliot and Mia? And after she leaves and years pass, what will happen when Ana and Christian meet again?**

 **Please let me know your thoughts. The beginning of this story will skip through time periods.**

* * *

Christian Grey scowled at the sight from his window. The black truck pulled into the drive, and a crying girl with brown hair sat in the front seat. His parents immediately stepped outside to greet them, looking as welcoming as the day when they took him and his siblings in.

He didn't understand his parents need to help this family, or in what way the Grey family was being brought into it. He rolled his eyes at the sight of his parents fawning over the crying girl, hugging her as well as the man that had arrived with her.

He felt a wave of jealousy overcome him. _Knock, knock._

"Christian, mom wants you to come downstairs." His brother Elliot called from the door. Adopted brother, that is.

Christian let out an exasperated sigh, and opened the door to see the young blonde, curly haired teenager standing there. Next to him stood the vivacious Mia, already a handful at the young age of eight.

"Come on." He said, and because Christian knew the argument that would ensue had he declined, he followed.

* * *

The cries echoed in the foyer of the young girl that stood there, her hand tightly gripping a sickly looking man. Christian frowned at them, already annoyed by her tears.

"Ana, sweetie. This is the best. Dr. Trevelyan-Grey and Mr. Grey are going to take good care of you."

"But daddy..." She cried, and looked fearfully around the room at the siblings that had just arrived.

Christian looked to his parents, both with tears streaming down their faces. He furrowed his brow, looking back at the man and his daughter and recalling the conversation his family had had days prior.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _"Kids." Carrick began with a clearing of his throat. "Your mother and I need to speak with you about something."_

 _As their housekeeper walked around collecting the plates of those finished, all three children perked up with interest._

 _"We're going to have another little girl coming to live with us."_

 _Elliot was the first to speak, "What? Why?"_

 _Christian quietly agreed with his questions._

 _"We already have a little girl here." Mia said, her nose turned up._

 _Christian wondered how'd she deal with being 'old news'._

 _"As you'll all remember, one of the hospital staff that I've been friends with for a long time had been diagnosed with..." She paused remembering her audience, "He's very sick, and he'll not likely make it."_

 _"You mean he'll die?!" Elliot asked._

 _Grace frowned at him, "Don't yell at the table Elliot. Yes, he will pass away quickly."_

 _"How sad." Mia squeaked._

 _Christian rolled his eyes, which he was glad his parents hadn't noticed._

 _"This man, Ray, has a lovely little girl that has no other family. She was adopted by him at birth."_

 _"Like us?" Christian finally spoke, his already deep voice cracking slightly._

 _"Yes sweetheart. Like you. When he passes, she'll have no one to go to. As well as, he doesn't want her to see him being sick. So your father and I have decided, since we are familiar with the adoption and fostering system, she will stay with us for a while and as long as the paperwork goes through successfully, she'll live with us."_

 _"You're going to adopt her too?" Christian asked._

 _"Well.. if that's what we need to do son." Carrick replied._

 _"But there's already enough of us. We don't need another kid here."_

 _"_ Christian! _That is not how we raised you. This family is in need of our help."_

 _"I don't want her here!" He scooted back from the table, running into his room._

 ** _Flashback Over_**

"Sweetheart, I'll call you. Keep this phone on you. But we've already talked about this Ana-Banana."

Christian laughed to himself at her nickname.

"Be strong for me little girl, okay?" The man croaked out.

His daughter flung himself at her, crying as loud as Christian had ever heard.

He suddenly felt guilty for his reaction to her arrival.

* * *

"Ana, sweetheart," Grace said quietly. "I'd like to introduce you to my children."

Carrick had stepped outside with the girls father, after a tearful goodbye. The girl continued to sniff back tears, wiping occasionally with the back of her hand. Christian vaguely wondered her age.

"This is Mia." Mia raised her little hand, waving it. "Elliot," He nodded to her, a small smile on his face. "And this is Christian." He stood staring at her, his brow furrowed.

"Kids, this is Anastasia Steele. That was her father Raymond Steele. Ana will be staying with us for a while. Mia, remember when we had set up Ana's room yesterday?"

Mia nodded enthusiastically. "C'mon! I'll show you." His little sister held out her hand to the crying girl. After a moment of contemplation, she took it and they ran upstairs.

"Boys," Grace began. "I expect you to both be kind to Ana. This is a very traumatic situation for her."

"Then why isn't she with a family she knows better?" Christian snapped.

" _Christian!_ I've known Ana since she was very small, she doesn't _have_ a family she knows better. Now I raised you to be more respectful than that."

"Sorry." He looked down, ashamed.

* * *

Christian sat at their dining room table a week later, a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of him. His parents had left for work, his mother having a busy day with patients and his father having a day in court.

Linda, their housekeeper, was busy working in the kitchen, waiting for the other children to wake up. The end of summer was soon approaching, which generally meant that Linda would be busy preparing for when school started.

"Good morning." A small voice said, and Christian looked up to see Ana standing there in her night gown and robe.

He swallowed his food, suddenly uncomfortable. A week of being there, and it had been the first time they had been in a room alone.

"Um. Morning." He said back, before looking back to his pancakes.

"Oh Ana! You're awake, go ahead and take a seat. I'll bring you some breakfast. Orange juice, milk, or apple juice?" The housekeeper asked, her voice warm as she spoke to her.

"Oh, orange, please." She replied with a small smile. Ana sat two seats away from him, occasionally looking at him eat. "You eat like you haven't for days." She mentioned casually with a small laugh.

His brow furrowed and he looked up at her, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean. Are you always so serious?"

"Do you always cry every night?" He snapped back. "I mean honestly, I can't sleep. It's getting old."

"I'm so sorry that I'm keeping you up crying because I miss my dad!"

"Maybe you should go back to him!"

* * *

Anastasia Steele felt a stabbing pain right in her heart. She let out a small gasp that sounded like a strangled cry.

 _She couldn't go back to him. He was dying._

"You're a jerk." She said quietly and stood, walking into the kitchen.

At eleven years old, Ana found herself having to grow up quicker than the kids in her grade. Her father, Ray Steele, had approached her one day to tell her he was sick. She didn't quite understand all of the terms, but she wasn't so young as to not know what the word _cancer_ meant.

It was the other words that confused her. _Stage Four. Hospice._

Dr. Trevelyan-Grey had explained that he wouldn't be able to be home, and that where he was going to have someone care for him, she couldn't go with. Her father also explained that he wouldn't be coming back.

Ana had met Dr. Trevelyan-Grey when she was seven. Her father had taken her in to 'take your daughter to work day', where she sat and played on his computer throughout the day. The doctor had been nothing but kind to her while other doctors seemed annoyed by her presence.

When Ray had suggested that Ana stay with the doctor and her family, she was heartbroken. She didn't want to say good-bye to her father, but it was the only person she knew that 'had the means', or so her father said.

Both Dr. Trevelyan-Grey and Mr. Grey were kind people. Mia was sweet, and Elliot was a kind well-mannered teenager. Christian, on the other hand, had been cold to her since her arrival.

"Ana! C'mon, come eat with us." She turned upon hearing her name to see Elliot standing there and motioning her over. She grabbed her plate and orange juice and walked towards him.

Mia was now seated at the table looking like she had just woken, and Christian was still there sullen as ever.

"Christian has something to say," Elliot began before nudging his brother.

"I'm sorry.."

Ana said nothing, but sat back down. She tugged the phone out of the robe pocket that her father had given her, waiting for him to contact her.

She needed to hear his voice.

* * *

 **Two months later**

"Daddy?" She cried into the phone, as her father coughed on the other end.

Grace sat next to her, holding her hand as tears streamed down her face.

 _"I think this may be the last time we talk Annie."_ Her father let out, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Daddy, no!"

 _"Please don't make this harder. Tell me what you're learning about in school."_

"I.. I learned about different cells and parts of them. And we're reading a new book." She sobbed.

 _"Keep working hard baby girl. And behave for Dr. Trevelyan-Grey, okay?"_

"Yes daddy.."

 _"I love you Ana-banana. We'll see each other again.. I promise."_

"I love you too daddy.."

The phone clicked and she let out a sob, releasing Grace's hand and curling over.

* * *

Christian watched from the stairs, silent and unmoving. They had kept their distance since she had moved in, but this he could understand.

Elliot and Mia had come from situations where the parents were still living, but were unable to keep their children. He, however, had lost his mother at a young age. He still had nightmares of her and her pimp from time to time, and he was told by his therapist that it was the reason he acted out.

He grieved for Ana, there on the stairs, and wondered if she would end up as broken as he was.


	2. Chapter 2: When We Were Young

**A/N: Some clarification: Ana is eleven when she goes to live with the Grey family. This will make Christian thirteen. They are only two years apart in this story. The reason Grace is so close with Ray will come up in chapters down the line.**

 **This upcoming chapter jumps a few years here and there, but don't worry - the years in between will not be forgotten. They will be brought up in chapters to come.**

The knock to her door was soft, but she didn't want to answer. Anastasia knew why they were knocking and what they were coming to tell her.

She clutched the stuffed elephant in her arms tight, remembering the moment it was given to her.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _The carnival lights flashed around them, and Ana was almost to the point where she couldn't eat anymore._

 _She loved fair week. Her father saved up year round, would take the week off and they would go everyday, eating fair food and riding rides._

 _"Ready, set, go!" One of the women at a carnival game shouted._

 _Ray and Ana both began spraying the target, and in moments Ray jumped up._

 _"I win!" He jumped up grinning before looking to Ana who sat with her eyes narrowed at him.  
_

 _"Cheater." She mumbled._

 _"Okay Ana-Banana. Pick what you want. By the way, I heard that."_

 _She furrowed her brow looking to all of the hanging stuffed animals before seeing a fluffy grey elephant. "That one!"_

 _The woman handed it to her and she immediately hugged it to her chest._

 _"Thank you daddy. I love it."_

 ** _Flashback_** _ **Over**_

The door creaked open, and in stepped both Grace and Carrick, both with tear stains on their cheeks.

"He's gone isn't he?" Ana asked quietly. She let out a shuddering breath, closing her eyes.

"Yes sweetheart," Grace said, sitting on her bed next to her.

Her tears began to fall, quietly as she opened her eyes. "This hurts.." She whimpered, her heart feeling like it was shattering into a million pieces.

"We know Ana. We know."

 _They didn't know._

She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit things and throw things. Anything that would make the pain go away.

Who would she call when she was upset? Who would she cry to, complain to, seek advice from?

She couldn't laugh with him anymore. She couldn't play with him anymore.

He was gone.

She was alone.

* * *

"Alright, let's see." Grace said, her fingers finishing tying the bow in Ana's hair. "There, you look beautiful."

Ana stood with her blue eyes downcast to the floor. The black tea-length dress hung around her knees, her black stockings covered by a pair of black flats. Grace looked beautiful in an almost matching attire.

Grace tucked a strand of hair behind Ana's hair. "It's going to be okay."

They walked the stairs together, their fingers intertwined. At the bottom of the stairs, stood both Carrick and Christian.

Grace was surprised when Christian of all people had insisted her attend the funeral with them. Elliot had declined when given the option, and Grace felt Mia was too young.

Christian stood in a suit, looking very dapper for a thirteen year old. For a reason she was unable to describe, he and Ana hadn't gotten along from the moment she came to stay with them. It seemed Ana would try, but Christian would give no effort.

"You look lovely son." She said lightly to him, and grabbed him by the shoulder leading them to the car.

* * *

It made sense that on the day of Ray's funeral, it would be raining. Carrick held an umbrella over he and Grace, and Christian was instructed to hold one over him and Ana. The droplets fell lightly at first, but as the day went on, they fell harder.

For the years that Grace had known Ray, she knew him to be a joyful and caring man who had eyes only for his daughter. She knew that his wife had left him long ago with Ana, although she was Ana's biological mother. Every attempt had been made to find her, but with no luck.

It didn't take anytime for Grace and Carrick to decide that they would take Ana in, the same way they took in their other children. She needed a home and they were sure she'd end up in the foster care system, bouncing from house to house, if they didn't let her stay with them.

Grace watched as Ana stepped up to the closed casket, by Ray's request, and placed a small white rose onto it. She felt Carrick grab her hand harder and she let out a small sob.

 _Poor, poor girl._

She then watched as Ana threw herself at the casket, wrapping her arms around it, hoping to give her father one last hug. She made to move to her, but to her surprise it was Christian that dropped the umbrella and went to her, speaking to her and coaxing her away. He put his arms around her in an innocent hug.

Graces hand flew to her mouth as Ana's head dropped onto his chest.

 _ **Five Years Later**_

Christian Grey stared at his reflection in the full length mirror. He was grateful that his cheek hadn't bruised from Elena's last slap to it, but he knew other parts of his body had. His copper hair that he had attempted to tame was ruffled, and his graduation gown sat inches above where it should have ended.

"I look ridiculous," He said to himself, running a hand through his hair and tugging at it.

 _Graduation Day._ In only four months he would be leaving to attend Harvard University, much to his fathers excitement. The idea of 'college' had been less than appealing to him, but he knew it was a necessary evil, at least for now. If he completed his education, he would receive an inheritance, which he planned to use to start up his dream business.

He wondered vaguely how his relationship with Elena would continue to pan out once he left for the east coast, but he knew she was intent on making it work. He wasn't sure he wanted to make it work.

The last five years had been interesting, especially with Anastasia Steele around. Christian had watched as she grieved, but since the funeral, she hadn't spoken once about him. She hadn't even shed a tear.

Christian could relate.

Grace and Carrick had graciously offered to adopt her, but she had respectfully declined. Although she was a member of the family, at least to the rest of them, she wanted to carry on her fathers legacy.

Unlike Mia, and even Elliot, Christian and Ana hadn't formed a bond. In fact, they didn't enjoy each other much at all.

She was a know at all sixteen year old girl, and she called him a 'moody teenager that needs an attitude adjustment.' At least she did until he began his relationship with Elena.

 _"Christian!_ " He heard from the hallway. Stepping out, he saw Ana standing there in a floral print blue and white halter dress, her brown hair tied up in a ponytail. "Are you ready? We're all waiting for you."

He rolled his eyes and walked past her without a word. He wouldn't lie, she was turning out to be a beautiful young woman. And truth be told, the reason she bothered him so much was because of she didn't end up nearly as messed up as he did after his mothers death. He envied her strength.

Once down the stairs, he looked around at his family and at Elena Lincoln, who of course, was there. "I'm here. I'm ready." He stated as he shoved his hands in the gown pockets.

"Grace, we must take pictures of the kids." Elena said, clapping her hands together. She looked wonderful as she always did, in her trademark black clothing with her platinum blonde hair. He couldn't help but envision her in another way and so he averted his eyes from her as his mother wholeheartedly agreed.

"Kids, get together." Carrick said as he focused the camera on them.

Elliot, who was visiting from college, stood in the frame with his brother, as did fourteen year old Mia.

"Ana? Come on, you too."

Christian scowled as Ana stepped into the picture, until he saw Elena's look. Immediately his scowl was replaced with something that may have resembled a smile.

* * *

"This is so boring." Mia complained, her brand new phone in her hand. Her fingers moved a million miles a minute.

Ana had disagreed originally that Mia had needed one at her age and even after five years was unable to get used to the amount of wealth the Grey family had.

"You're right, it is. _But_ , one of these days we'll all be bored at your graduation ceremony... so..." Ana replied, smiling at the young girl.

Even Christian's parents sat with glazed eyes looking into the distance. The class was too large, Ana concluded.

Elena Lincoln however, seemed to be completely focused, taking pictures as the ceremony went on. Ana wondered if she was the only person who found that strange, considering that Elena was Grace's oldest friend. She had always made Ana feel uncomfortable, but she stayed quiet it.

"So it'll be nice having Christian leave for college, huh?" Mia asked, putting her phone down and tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you two absolutely hate each other."

Ana frowned, _is that how I come off?_ "I don't know, we just don't see eye to eye. I don't hate him, if anything he hates me. I think he hates that I ever came to live with you guys."

Elliot leaned towards them, "He doesn't hate you Ana. He's just jealous of you."

 _"Christian Grey._ " The announcer said, and they all stood, shouting their cheers.

* * *

Anastasia couldn't help but smile as she stepped up to the doors of the Grey home. Her stomach was full of butterflies and she felt like she wanted to do cartwheels.

She had just returned from her first date with a classmate, Jose Rodriguez. At first she had declined his invite to go out, but upon the second time asking she agreed. He had even held her hand at the movies, and kissed her lightly on the lips when she left his car. Although it may have been silly, considering what other students were doing at her age, she thought it was sweet.

She had let both Grace and Carrick know when the movie would end, and it seemed they were already asleep. She could see by the light in the window that Mia was still up, most likely waiting to hear all about her date. What she didn't expect, however, was to see Christian standing in the kitchen with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

She let out a yelp when she turned on the light, seeing him standing there in sweat pants and a white t-shirt.

"Christian! What are you doing... in the dark? Creepy much?" She let out a small chuckle as she stepped past him to grab a glass of water. "Want one?"

He didn't answer before taking a deep breath. "Did you enjoy your... _date?_ " He asked.

"Um. Yes, I did. Thank you. I actually had a really nice time." _And i'm not going to let you ruin it!_

"You're home late."

"You're not my..." She paused, avoiding the word. "Christian, what's up? Your parents knew I'd be home late."

"They didn't even meet him."

"Well, I asked if they wanted to, but they... why am I telling you this? Why do you care Christian?"

"Mia is young, and impressionable. I'd hate for you to set a bad example."

"Then maybe Elliot needs to stop bringing his girlfriends around when he's on school breaks."

Christian scowled at her, his argument falling flat.

"You know, you're leaving in a week for Harvard. You won't have to worry about me ruining your day anymore, okay? I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, but jeez."

Ana pushed past him, bringing her drink upstairs into her bedroom. After rolling her eyes at the thought of Christian Grey, she lay on her bed and pull out her phone.

 _Jose: Had a great time 2nite. C u tmrw._

She frowned. She hated 'text talk'.

 _Ana: I had a great time with you as well. Good night._

She jumped upon hearing her door creak open and watched as Christian poked his head in. "You have a second?" He asked.

"Sure." Ana sat up and he walked over to her bed, sitting on the edge. "What's up?"

"I don't... _hate_ you, Ana. If anything, I envy you." He said quietly, looking at her.

She couldn't help but notice how beautiful his eyes were. _Had she not paid attention to that before?_

"Envy.. me? Why?"

Christian shrugged, "I've been in this family since I was four, but you've fit in better than I ever have."

Ana immediately frowned. "What? That's not true, your family loves you. You're just.. distant."

"I have issues Ana, and don't act like I don't, since you've called me out on it multiple times. Anyways, I just wanted you to know that before I left for school."

"ANA, HOW DID IT GO?! OH MY GOSH DID YOU KISS-" Mia jumped into the room, stopping short once she saw Christian on Ana's bed. "Oh, i'm sorry.."

"No worries Mia, I was just leaving." Christian said, standing and taking one more look at her.

The door click and Mia turned her head to Ana immediately, "What was _that_ about?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

 **A/N: This next chapter will have some more tissue moments, as Ana will get a very big surprise coming her way. Any guesses as to what it might be?**

 **Also, I had already written this story so updates will be frequent. Essentially I'm just going through and separating out in chapters and doing some editing.**


	3. Chapter 3: Somebody Told Me

**A/N: This is a longer story, and yes there will be multiple updates this week. Also, please be aware of the trigger warnings in the chapter.**

* * *

Christian lay back in his twin bed, staring at the white ceiling above him. He'd never understand why people enjoyed living in dormitories. Thankfully, he had been able to secure a private one, but that didn't step that constant noise from either side.

The neighbor to his left was up all night with random women, and the neighbor to his right must've thought he was a professional drummer.

He squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 _Harvard._ It was everything he'd ever thought it would be. He was dominating on the rowing team, and had already met people that he knew would be beneficial to him in the future.

His first semester was flowing seamlessly. Every day was the same, and he enjoyed the monotony. _Breakfast, work out, class, lunch, class, dinner, class, work out, sleep._

His relationship with Elena, however, was not going as planned. When he decided to stay at school for the holidays, despite her insistence that he come home, the punishment was severe. She showed up right at his dormitory door, and she made him regret it.

 _He wanted to be done with her._

He knew she could sense something was wrong. He knew that was the reason she was trying to hold even tighter onto him. She even suggested that she sub for him, something that he was considering.

His phone pinged and he tried to squeeze his eyes shut tighter. He knew it was Elena.

 _Ping, Ping._ He ignored it until he heard the phone ringing.

He looked at the number and frowned. Why was Elliot repeatedly calling him?

"What?!" He said into the phone.

 _"Christian, Ana's gone!"_

"What do mean?" Christian sat up on the side of the bed.

 _"We didn't want to bother you with all of this, but mom and dad are so upset, and I thought maybe you could call them because you HAVEN'T in forever, and you might cheer them up-"_ Elliot rambled on.

"Elliot, for fucks sake, slow down! What do you mean Ana is gone?"

 _"Well, her birth mom showed up with a court order and immediately got lawyers involved, and even though mom and dad were fostering her, apparently because she's her actual mom she could take her-"_

Christian pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment, letting Elliot ramble, before putting it back. "But how can she do that? I thought Ray specifically wrote in his will that Ana would stay with us."

 _"The lawyer was saying that was only written because they were unable to find her. She's nuts man.. just please call mom at least."_

"Yeah, sure."

Christian hung up the phone, his brow furrowed as he dialed his mothers number.

* * *

 ** _One Week Prior_**

 _"I'm sorry, i'm not quite understanding this." Carrick said as he placed down his coffee. The man seated in front of him was large, in a suit that barely fit him. His bald head was sweated beneath the lights of Carricks office, and he repeatedly dabbed his face._

 _"Carla May Wilks is Anastasia Steele's birth mother. She is requesting that her child immediately be returned to her, or criminal charges will be pressed."_

 _"On what grounds?!"_

 _"On the grounds that you're currently holding her only child and had no made attempt to even contact her upon Ray Steele's death."_

 _"Carla May Wilks left Ana when she was a baby! She forfeit her rights!"_

 _"Not legally." The man stood, briefcase in hand. "We expect to have Anastasia Steele returned to Carla May Wilks in a weeks time." He placed a piece of paper on the desk. "It's all written there."_

 _"_ Returned?! _She's a human! Not a piece of merchandise! What about what Ana wants?"_

 _"She's sixteen. She doesn't know what she wants."_

 _The man stepped out of the office leaving Carrick reeling._

* * *

 _"Grace, they've got us in a loophole. She is technically Ana's legal guardian, and frankly, we didn't file any fostering documents, we simply went by Ray's will. Legally, that was fine at the time, but now.."_

 _"Carrick, I can't let her go! I can't lose one of my children!" Grace cried._

 _"The emancipation laws of Washington are that she can file at the age of sixteen. She's sixteen, but I'm not sure.."_

 _"What's going on? Are you both okay?" Ana stepped into the room, fresh from a run. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, her face still red from her workout._

 _"Ana.. we.. we need to talk to you about something." Carrick said quietly, patting the spot next to him on the couch._

 _She sat down, folding her hands in front of her._

 _"We love you Ana, like our own. You know that right?"_

 _"Of course, and I love you guys." She said._

 _"Your mother, Carla.. she... she's back, and she's claiming legal custody of you."_

 _Ana's jaw dropped. "What?! No! Carrick, you're a lawyer... she can't do that, right?"_

 _"She.. she can. I've been searching every possible option here Ana. When you're with her, you can file for emancipation, but you'd need to prove that she's unfit to care for you."_

 _"She gave me up as a baby!"_

 _"She claims that Ray stole you."_

 _"WHAT?!" Ana jumped up, her hand flying to her mouth. "No." She walked to Grace who enveloped her in her arms. "Please, please don't let her take me. I can't lose you guys. Please."_

 _"Oh sweetheart."_

* * *

 _The sedan pulled up to the house and Ana stared out the window, watching the auburn haired woman step from the car. She didn't look..._ bad. _A large bald man stepped out as well, walking towards the door with a suit. Her heart fell into stomach when she heard the doorbell._

 _"Ana.." The door creaked open and there stood Mia, her bottom lip trembling. "They're here."_

 _Ana nodded, taking one last look at her bedroom for the past five and a half years. "Okay." She grabbed her stuffed elephant and walked down the stairs, the smile on the woman's face noticeably fake._

 _"Oh my.. Anastasia... look how you've grown!" She exclaimed, and Ana grimaced._

 _"Give me a moment please to say goodbye to my family?" She asked, and the woman nodded, taking a step back._

 _Ana turned to Mia, who began to weep. "Mia, you can call me or text me anytime. Okay? Anytime you need me. I'm so lucky to have you as my little sister." She said, hugging her tightly._

 _She turned to Grace and Carrick and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but words failed. They grabbed her in a hug, holding her tightly._

 _"We love you Ana." They whispered, to which she responded, "I love you too."_

 _She turned to the woman, grabbing her suitcases and then stepping out of the house._

 _The last look she had was when she turned her head back as they drove away._

* * *

 ** _Present_ Day.**

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Christian asked over the phone. He felt a twinge of guilt. He'd never said bye to her.

"Son, i'm exploring all of our options. The hope as that the home will be unfit for her, and she can file for emancipation. We've tried to call her, but her phone has been off since she left." Carrick replied, his voice full of anger.

"Fuck.."

"Yes. Fuck." Christian chuckled at his fathers very rare language.

"Is mom okay?"

"No, she's not. She's heartbroken. We wish you would come home to visit. I think it may help."

"I'll see what I can do dad."

* * *

 _ **One Year Later.**_

"Ana, thank you for coming to see me."

Anastasia Steele sat in the counselors office of her high school, her books for her next class in her hand.

"Mr. Garrett, did I.. do something wrong?" She raised an eyebrow at him. Even throughout the past year, no matter how hellish it was, she continued to excel in school.

"Is everything okay at home?"

She gripped her books tighter. _No._

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

"One of the teachers mentioned a large bruise on your arm."

 _Thank God for this sweater._

"I fell Mr. Garret, nothing more. I'm a little clumsy."

He stared at her, his eyes narrowed, appraising her. "You're up for early graduation Ana, and I know you've been accepted to Washington State University. That's very far from Savannah."

She took a deep breath, "Yes."

"Are you going to go?"

"I'm.. I'm not sure. I'll need to discuss my options with my parents." She cringed at the word.

"Okay, well.. here is what you'd need to fill out should you want to graduate early." He handed her a piece of paper with the seal of the school on it. "And Ana, if there's anything going on.. please, call me. Anytime."

"Yes Sir." She stood, wishing she could tell him everything.

* * *

"ANA!" Her shrill voice screamed. It carried through the new house they had just moved to.

"Yes ma'am?" Ana said, stepping out of her room and into the living room.

"Stephen will be home soon, and this place is a mess. I've been working so hard I just.. I haven't had time to clean. Would you be a dear and please help clean up?" Carla asked.

She couldn't understand Carla. Her relationship with this man was abusive, and yet she wouldn't leave. Ana was unsure of the reason they wanted her there so bad. They hated her, and although Carla could at times be nice, her overbearing husband set the tone. He treated Ana like nothing more than his slave.

"Yes Ma'am." She repeated, letting out a sigh and going to pull out the cleaning supplies. She glanced at the clock, she had a little over an hour to get the house cleaned up from Stephens previous night of 'fun' with his friends.

Those were her least favorite nights. Her name would constantly be called and she'd be forced to get them beers, food, whatever they needed while his friends ogled her. And when she didn't do as she was told... well, that was where the bruises came from.

She missed her home. She missed Grace, Carrick, Elliot, Mia... even Christian. But Carla and Stephen had made it virtually impossible to contact them. Her phone had been thrown out the window the moment they left Bellevue. She now had no phone, and was unable to use the internet for anything but school. Even then, Stephen monitored the activity.

 _One more year._ She thought to herself each day. But now, since she was eligible for early graduation, she wondered if it would be sooner.

* * *

 _ ****TRIGGER WARNING****_

"This is very good Ana," Carla said as they ate the grilled chicken Ana had cooked for them.

"Thank you." Ana replied and frowned at one of the rare moments that Carla seemed 'real'.

"It's dry." Stephen complained.

"I'm sorry, would you like something to put on it?"

He said nothing, but cut at the meat harshly.

"I spoke with the counselor today. He said i'm up for early graduation." Ana stated quietly.

Stephen dropped his fork and knife on the plate. "And why would you do that?"

"Ana, take your time and enjoy your last year of school."

"CARLA - Shut up! Ana... answer me."

Carla cowered and Ana suddenly wished she hadn't said anything.

"So... so I could get a head start in college."

"HAH. What makes you think you could get into a college?"

She frowned at him, "I've already been accepted. I have a 4.0 GPA."

"Accepted to where?"

Ana stayed quiet, hesitant to answer.

"Accepted TO WHERE ANA?!"

"Washington State University."

It happened in a flash. Stephen stood, grabbing Ana by the neck and pulling her from her chair. She was immediately pinned against the wall, her head hitting the drywall. She cried out, before closing her eyes feeling the sharp blade of his kitchen knife against her skin.

"You're not going back to that fucking family. You're not leaving. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"YES. Yes Sir."

He let go, returning to sit at the dinner table and continued stuffing the chicken in his mouth. She slid down against the wall as she covered her face, getting one last glance of Carla looking at her with pity in her eyes.

 ** _**TRIGGER WARNING OVER**_**

* * *

 _ **Six Years Later**_

The Florida humidity hit Christian in the face like a sack of oranges as he stepped out of his private jet. At the age of twenty-five, Christian was already deemed a 'billionaire' and, as People Magazine said, Seattle's Hottest Bachelor. The thought struck him as odd, but he had no time for things as stupid as magazine articles.

The black Audi SUV sat on the Tarmac, his head of security Jason Taylor waiting for him. So far he had worked for Christian four years, and they had grown to have more of a friendship than just a working relationship. Considering that Taylor knew about his... _relationships_.. it seemed fitting.

"Thank you Taylor," Christian sat as he slid into the back seat of the car. His phone rang and he stared at the number before picking it up. "Grey." He snapped.

 _"So, how long are you planning on going on this little rendezvous? I didn't even know you were leaving until this morning Grey, what the shit?"_ His number two, Ros, snapped on the other side.

"I won't be long. There's been a... development." He cleared his throat.

 _"This isn't work related... is it?"_

"No. It's not."

 _"Okay, well good luck. I'll hold down the fort."_

"Thanks Ros."

"Whatever."

He chuckled as she snapped the phone shut. _Ros._ He had met her while attending school. She shared his dream, and when Elena gave him the money to make it a reality, she joined him.

He glanced outside of the window, frowning. In Florida, he had only been to Miami. But _Central Florida?_ It wouldn't be a place he'd return to. The farms zoomed past him, he assumed for both oranges and sugar cane. The beach was only an hour away, but you wouldn't know at first glance.

They drove for at least an hour in silence until the car began to slow. The town they entered was small, full of smaller Duplex vacation homes. In his mind, he went over every possible reason as to why she would be there. The car finally came to a stop in front of a bright pink concrete home with a tin roof. In the front was a Manatee mailbox, which made him cringe. _Tacky._

He stepped up to the door, his designer shoes clicking against the pavement. He knocked a few times, and stood waiting with Taylor behind him. He could hear the shuffling of someones feet and moments later, the door opened to reveal a middle aged woman that Christian immediately knew was her mother.

" _Oh._ Wow. Hello. Can I help you?" She asked, seemingly loosening up her robe slightly. _Disgusting._

"Yes, I assume that you are Carla?" Christian replied.

".. who's asking?"

"I'm looking for Miss Anastasia Steele."

Carla frowned at him, before turning around. "ANA! THERE'S A MAN HERE FOR YOU!" Another frown and she stepped away from the door.

Christian cleared his throat, doing his best to glance inside.

Moments later, a beautiful woman stepped to the door. A woman he immediately recognized as Ana.

 _Holy shit._

She had matured as the years went on, her body filling out, her hair longer, and her blue eyes brighter if possible. Even in jeans with a tank top, she had to be the most gorgeous person he had ever seen.

The moment her eyes met his, they widened. She stepped outside immediately and he took a step back, watching as she slammed the door shut.

"C-Christian?!" She exclaimed in a squeak. Her eyes trailed over him, most likely taking in the thousand dollar suit he wore. " _What_ are you doing here?! How are you here?! How did you find me?!" She walked away from the door, glancing back at it.

Utterly confused, Christian followed her, only to notice that Carla was peering out from the window.

"What are you doing here?!" She repeated.

"W... I am so confused." He muttered, before shaking his head and letting out an exasperated sigh. "Ana, I've been looking for you for years. You left, and there wasn't any trace of you. You told my parents you'd call them, you never did... we've all been worried."

"You've been worried about me..."

"Of course."

She glanced back at the house, and then to him before looking at Taylor. "Who is this?"

"My head of security." He laughed, "We have a lot to catch up on. What are you doing here? In Central Florida in all places as far away from home as possible?"

"It is such a long story." She stepped towards him, lifting a hand to lightly touch his face. "I just can't believe i'm looking at you right now.. I can't believe you're... here." He could tell she felt overwhelmed, but she seemed... afraid, distant.

"Well i'm here. Join me for lunch, so we can talk."

She stared at him, biting on her lower lip for a moment. "Okay, let me just go speak to Carla."

She turned and quickly went into the house. Christian immediately looked at Taylor who shared his expression.

Something was wrong.


	4. Chapter 4: The Way It Was

**A/N: I'm so happy you guys are enjoying this story. Thank for your the reviews! There are a lot of questions that are being asked, but I don't want to answer them just yet, since things will become clearer as the story goes on. I'd hate to spoil it.**

"Where are you going Anastasia?" Carla hissed as Ana ran into her room and began changing.

Her heart was beating a million miles a minute. Even though her and Christian had never gotten along, the sight of him made her jump for joy internally, her stomach filling with butterflies. He was always thinking away, always smart. If anyone could get her out of this situation, it would be him.

She rifled through her clothes, wishing suddenly that they had more money and she was able to afford nicer things. She smiled, finding a blue faded sundress. _This will do._

"Mom, I'm just going to go to lunch. I haven't seen Christian in years." It still made her sick to call her mom, but Carla had insisted too much and she was tired of fighting about it.

" _Ana.._ remember what happened last time you tried to contact them!"

Ana stopped in her tracks frowning and taking a deep breath. She remembered because it had broken her heart. She shook her head, hoping to shake away the negative thoughts. Christian was _here._ If he didn't want to see her, he wouldn't be.

"I know, make sure you keep the door locked. If by some chance he comes here, just don't make a sound, okay?" Ana said, giving her mother a half hug.

"I don't think i'm comfortable with this." Carla mumbled, and Ana could hear something else buried deep in her tone. Something menacing.

* * *

The beachfront restaurant was close to empty. The smell of salty water invaded the air, but it felt light and fresh. Christian stared at Ana across from him, separated by an ugly shell centerpiece. It had taken over an hour to get there, but he noticed that the farther away they got, the better she seemed to feel.

She hadn't even spoken to him in the car ride, just stared at him like he was going to disappear at any moment.

"So, are you going to talk to me?" Christian asked, his hands folded in front of him.

She stared at the water for a moment before looking back at him. _Her eyes were beautiful._ "I think I can ask you the same thing. What are you doing here Christian? A little far from Harvard don't you think?"

 _Smart mouth on her._ "Ana, I haven't been in Harvard for years."

"You graduated fast. I would've thought you were working on your masters by now."

"I didn't graduate at all." He ignored her look, "But enough about me. How are you?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm... okay."

"You don't seem okay. Talk to me. I've been trying to track you down for _years_ Ana. Every time I reached a point where I thought I'd found you, you were gone."

"Why have you been looking for me?"

"We miss you. You left, you never called, you never wrote. I haven't seen my mother actually smile in years, a _real_ smile, except maybe for when Mia graduated."

Her mouth dropped slightly, "I did write! I wrote tons of times! I only got one answer and it was pretty simple Christian. _We don't want you anymore. Please stop writing._ "

He let out a loud laugh, scoffing at her. "Do you _honestly_ think anyone in my family would write that?"

"Um. Yes. You."

 _I deserve that._ "Ana, I never sent you anything. However, this will be the third house I've shown up at, except this time... there are occupants in the home."

Christian stopped speaking as the waitress placed their food in front of them. Ana stared at her burger like it was a foreign object. She picked it up and slowly bit into it, her eyes fluttering closed at the taste. The small moan that escaped her throat would have normally turned him on, but he was disgusted by her living conditions. Was she not being fed properly?

She stayed quiet as she ate, faster than him, which was a shock. As they sat waiting for the bill, she finally spoke again.

"They never wrote that?" She almost cried.

"No." He reached out to grab her hand. _So soft._

"Christian... I miss you guys so much. I don't want to be here. _Please._ " A tear fell down her cheek as she began to unload on him. "I've been running from my mothers ex husband.. he used to hurt me, he tried to kill me. One day, Carla helped me. Saved me. She hit him over the head and we ran. I don't know why I've stayed. I think I've just felt so in debt to her.. and.. and I've been worried he'd find me."

He wanted to punch someone. _Hurt her?!_ "Ana... how did he hurt you?"

She lifted a hand to vaguely point at the mark on her neck. "This is the only scar.. the others were bruises."

Christian paused for a moment furrowing his brow. "Wait a moment.. Who.. who was the husband?"

She hiccuped a cry, "Stephen Morton."

"You've been running from Stephen Morton?"

She nodded, reaching up a hand to wipe her tears.

With a scoff he said, "Stephen Morton is dead."

* * *

His voice rang in her ears. _Dead._ _Stephen Morton is dead._

"But... no. He can't be, we've been..." She stopped speaking, thinking for a moment. The only way she knew he was still alive was because of Carla. Because Carla told her he was trying to contact them, and threaten them.

"Carla." She said bluntly. " _Fuck._ " She put her head in her hands and let out another sob. "He's _dead._ I've wasted the past six years of my life."

Christian stayed quiet, but she heard his chair move and in moments felt a hand on her back.

"Why would she DO this to me?!"

"To control you." He said quietly. He'd been there before with Elena. "Listen Ana, I know this is probably.. really hard. You've dealt with a lot. There's no need for you to be here. We want you back home. I want to get you out of here, and bring you home."

"I need to speak with Carla first." Ana said with resolve, standing and wiping her eyes.

He said nothing. She knew he must understand in some way.

* * *

Christian watched as Ana pushed open the front door of the pink house. He followed her inside without a question. This reunion had been more than odd. He had expected her life to be farther along. He had found out years ago Stephen Morton had died from a drug overdose. He knew that this was one of Carla's husbands (because she had many), but the only information he had been able to get on Ana was that she used a Florida address to attend school online. The address turned out to be fake.

He finally found her when she got her drivers license renewed and used the address they were currently at. Now that he had thought of it, it was a silly move if they were trying to stay hidden. He wondered if she had wanted to be found.

"Ana! I'm glad you're back! I think that he tried to call me-" Carla, with her hair a mess and still in her robe, paused upon seeing the look on Ana's face.

"You've been lying to me?" She asked, her voice strangled into a sob.

Carla looked back and forth to Ana and Christian before speaking, her recent fake 'sweet' voice changing into something more malicious. "What did you do?" She said to Christian.

He let out a harsh laugh shaking his head, venom in his voice. "What did _I_ do? Tell your daughter the truth Carla."

She stared at him, her eyes narrowing.

"NOW!" He roared and she jumped back.

"Anastasia... are you really going to let him-"

"Tell me the truth." Ana whispered. "Is he dead?"

Carla walked to the TV mantel, grabbing a cigarette and lighting it before flopping into her recliner. "Yes."

"So what.. _exactly_ have we been doing these past six years? Except for wasting my life away.." Ana's fists were balled at her side, and Christian stood there waiting for an answer with her.

" _Ray_." She spit his name out. "Left you a lot of money."

Ana gasped, her brow furrowed.

"It was stated in his will that you weren't to know about this money until you were eighteen and that it would be released into an account for you each year, until it ran out.." She took a drag from her cigarette.

"How did you even find Ana?" Christian asked.

"In his will he left me a small sum of money too, should I _ever decide to get my life together_. I just happened to have a good lawyer friend that found you." She looked to Ana whose face was red with anger.

"You were stealing the money my dad left me?"

Carla scoffed, putting out the remainder of her cigarette and standing. She turned from her daughter, going to walk to the kitchen. "Your _dad._ He's not your _real father_ Ana. I'm your _mother_ , there is _blood_ between us."

"Ray was EVERYTHING to me! We didn't need blood to have what we had, and lucky to have had someone like him and to live my life without someone like you for as long as I did!" Ana yelled at her to which Carla rolled her eyes, uncaring.

"Ana," Christian finally turned to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Grab what you need... want, whatever. We're leaving." She gave him a small nod, her jaw trembling.

"I just need one thing." She walked into what he presumed to be her room. Moments later she came out with something he recognized: a grey stuffed elephant.

"Go to the car with Taylor Ana." He commanded, and whether she was exhausted, or just too confounded on what to say to this woman, she followed orders.

Christian stepped into the kitchen to see Carla pulling out a bottle of liquor from a lock box. He cleared his throat and she turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed. He couldn't help but feel disgusted in her presence.

"Do you know what the penalty is for Fraud, Mrs. Wilkes?" He asked, putting his hands in his pockets. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "It's a minimum of ten years incarceration." He began to walk towards her and she backed to the counter. "Now, I know you must have sensed that Ana was going to leave with the continued abuse you allowed of her from your _fucker_ of a husband, which meant you'd lose out on her inheritance... and I'm sure that's why you _escaped_ from him." He let out a small laugh, "But let me tell you.. that my team is going to do a full investigation on what _really_ happened with Stephen Morton, and then lets see if we can't get you in prison for murder."

"Do you think you scare me _Christian Grey..._?" Her voice faltered.

"Do I think I do? I _know_ I do. Don't FUCKING mess with me, and don't EVER contact Anastasia again."

* * *

"Can we just make a stop first, please?" Ana asked in the back of the SUV. Christian sat beside her while Taylor drove.

"Of course, just let Taylor know wherever you'd like to go."

They found themselves almost an hour later back at a beach that held no occupants. In fact, it looked gated off. With ease, Ana made it over the gate and pulled off her shoes, walking barefoot in the sand. Christian watched her for a moment before pulling off his dress shoes, socks, and then rolling up his slacks. He hopped over the gate, motioning for Taylor to stay behind.

He continued to follow her, feet behind her, until she reached the water. He glanced around. To his left was miles of beach and to his right, was a jetty, the water breaking against the rocks in waves. She walked along the wet sand until she reached the rocks and stood there for a moment, her hand touching the jagged surface.

Unsure of what she was doing, Christian stepped up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I've been coming here at least once a week since we've been here. Normally in the middle of the night when Carla was asleep. I'd take the car, use whatever tip money I had from the restaurant.."

"You've been working? I'm surprised I couldn't find that.."

"It was an _under the table_ job. Now that I'm piecing everything together, I think the owner was sleeping with Carla."

 _Gross._ Christian scoffed, shaking his head.

"Why'd you come here?" He asked, letting his fingertips run along her shoulder. She shivered at his touch.

"Because here, I didn't feel trapped. The ocean.. just goes on forever. There's no possibly way to look at it and feel like you're claustrophobic and like you can't breathe. I'd constantly feel that way with her Christian. Like I was trapped, like I couldn't breathe. I've literally done nothing but help her for years..." She took a deep breath, "I've done nothing for myself.. except for school."

"You won't need to be living for anyone else anymore Ana. We're going to go home, and you can start over."

"I just want to do one more thing before I leave. I've always wanted to, but I think I was just too scared."

He raised an eyebrow at her as she grabbed the dress from the hem and pulled it over her head without a care in the world. He turned his head quickly, but after a moment couldn't help but peak over at her. Even her bland white matching bra and panties, she looked _incredible._

It wasn't until he realized what she was going to do that he snapped out of it. "Wait, Ana.. no! This is dangerous!" He watched as she crawled up the jetty, different rocks shooting in different directions. "There could be rocks under the water!" He shouted to her, but she just looked at him and shook her head.

"I'll be fine Christian. You can join me and not be a chicken, or just let me do it by myself."

He watched her, her figure silhouetted by the setting sun. "Fuck it." He mumbled and pulled his suit jacket off, followed by his dress shirt and then slacks, leaving him in a pair of boxer briefs. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like she looked him over.

He crawled up the rocks, before standing with her and staring down. The water was dark, but he could vaguely see rocks poking out to his left. "Jump to the right." He said.

She took a deep breath and after a few steps start, flung herself off of the side, landing with a miraculous splash.

" _ANA!"_ Christian yelled, until she resurfaced laughing and rubbing the salt water from her eyes.

"Come on!" She yelled to him, and with a grin he followed, jumping into the cool water and feeling a rush of adrenaline that rivaled flying in his helicopter.

It took him until they were walking back to the car, both soaked, that he realized that it was not only a moment for her to feel free, but also for himself.


	5. Chapter 5: The World We Live In

**A/N: I'd like to say real quickly that if you are going to write a negative review with questions, please create an account so that I may answer you directly. There is some confusion based on the information I've released so far in this story. I've stated that I didn't want to spoil anything, and I still won't, although my story 'doesn't make sense'. (although I am flattered you called me an excellent writer, thank you!)**

 **I know there is confusion as to why Ana never left her mother, or why she didn't report anything. Also, the issue with her school, and the will.**

 **I only suggest that if you 'dislike' the way this story is going, don't read it. Everything that was brought up the review will be brought up within this story, many of it in this chapter.**

 **The story line will not be changed.**

 **I assure you all, that any pieces that seem like they are 'missing' will be addressed as the story progresses. I'm not leaving them out to be lazy, I'm leaving them out to build on the story.**

 **Thank you.**

* * *

Anastasia stepped out of the car of the SUV, looking at the plane on the tarmac. The light grey private jet that sat there was unlike anything she had seen, especially since the words 'GREY ENTERPRISES' was branded on the side. She turned to face Christian who looked... _proud_ and cocky.

"I'm confused Christian... _when_ exactly did you get a plane?"

He laughed, grabbing her by the hand. He walked her up to the steps where she was greeted by Natalie, his flight attendant that stood with a smile on her face. Ana walked up the stairs, her mouth dropping more as she continued. He couldn't help but stare at the sway of her hips as she walked.

"Miss Steele. Would you like a glass of champagne?" Natalie asked, holding out a tray with two flutes once they were aboard.

"Oh yes, please. Thank you." Ana replied politely. It seemed his parents had instilled good manners in her. She turned to Christian. "Okay, I need you to explain please. Did you win the lottery... or..?"

He laughed, "Wow. Well, two years in Harvard, I dropped out and started my own business. I'm now... very wealthy."

"I see this. You've been successful enough in this time frame... to become wealthy enough for a private jet... and a head of security. And your name on the plane." She stated, to which he nodded. "This has been the weirdest day of my life.." She flopped into one of the leather seats and closed her eyes.

"You must be very overwhelmed." Christian stated as she sat across from her.

"Yes." She replied simply.

"Well, I'm not sure what to do here. We can talk about it, I can leave you alone...you can lay down in the cabin if you'd like after take off."

She nodded and looked relieved, the sound of sleep amazing. "Are we going to Seattle?"

"Yes."

* * *

Ana awoke from her nap after she felt a jerk. _An earthquake maybe?_ No. These weren't her sheets, although they were the softest thing she had ever felt. She looked around and second by second it came back to her. She had been awoken by turbulence. She was on a plane, _a jet_ , sleeping in Christian Grey's private cabin.

She turned to the side, snuggling into the pillow and closed her eyes thinking. This morning she had woken up, made Carla something to eat, and Christian Grey showed up at her door much to her surprise. Then her world had fallen apart, and came back together again.

If she had never left the Grey household, she would have attended Washington State University. She'd have her degree in English. Right now she was close to being halfway done with her Bachelors, having been able to take online courses at FSU once Carla and Ana had 'escaped'. She had never been able to finish though because she'd need to be on campus for the remainder. She found herself curious for a moment why Carla had even allowed her to attend school.

She eventually sat up, letting her hands drag along the sheets. It wasn't until she had the urge the change that a sense of panic hit her. She had no clothes. No money. Nothing. She had left with _nothing_ and had left with someone that frankly, she had never even gotten along with.

 _Why did he care so much?_

She finally stood up, pulling on the dress she had taken off before and stepped out of the room.

"She's.. she's overwhelmed, I think a little shell shocked. No, she's healthy as far as I can tell." She heard Christian say and saw the back of his head, a phone against his ear. "I know mother. No, she lied to her.. about everything. Did you know about Rays will?" He paused, "We'll need to speak with dad. She'll need a lawyer."

"Miss Steele, you're awake. Would you like something to eat?" The beautiful flight attendant known as Natalie came forward and asked.

Ana glanced back quickly at Christian to see that he was off the phone and standing. "Yes please."

"How did you sleep?" Christian asked her. He had removed his suit jacket, leaving him in a button down and slacks. _So sexy.._

"Fine. I didn't remember where I was when I woke up." She replied, suddenly feeling very shy and taken off-guard.

He led her to the seats where a dish was placed in front of her. Something Italian and garlic. Her mouth watered.

* * *

Christian watched as she ate, his chin resting on his fingertips. He had peaked in while she slept to make sure she was fine, but she was passed out, her bare leg poking out from the sheets. He wished he could sleep that good.

Now, as she devoured her food, he wondered how mistreated she was with Carla and wished he could have found her sooner.

"Oh, um.." She said nervously as she placed her fork down. "So, I realized... _like an idiot_.. that I have nothing. No money, clothes.. nothing."

"That's not a problem Ana. I have enough money for both of us. I'll help you get stared, we can find you a job... and-"

"I have no place to sleep." His brown furrowed at the interruption and his clenched his jaw before speaking.

"You can either sleep at Bellevue, or at my apartment."

"I have no clothes..."

"We can certainly pick you up clothes Anastasia."

She frowned at him, and after a calming breath, he gave her a small grin.

"I don't remember you smiling this much. What happened to you? You hated me, remember?"

He held up a finger to her, "No. I never hated you. Envied you.."

"Christian, I can't have you... buy me things. You're not my sugar daddy. I mean, I have no job... no car.."

"Ana, please!" He commanded before his voice turned softer, "My family will handle this. Okay?"

"Well, I mean I have no choice.. so.."

"Mr Grey," Natalie said lightly, "We are preparing for landing."

"Christian," Ana said nervously as they buckled their seat belts. "Do you think I could just stay with you for the night? There's been just too much going on today, and as much as I want to see your family... I'm not sure I can handle it emotionally."

"Of course, we'll just make a few stops on the way if that's fine."

"Okay," She paused for a moment as she felt the jet begin to descend. It was unsettling. "I feel rude, I guess I should have asked.. do you have a significant other?" She chose to leave out 'girlfriend' or 'wife' considering she had never seen him date when they were younger. "I'd hate to all of a sudden show up and cause a problem."

He chuckled, his eyes turning dark for a moment. "No, Ana. I don't have a _significant other._ It'll just be you and I. And Taylor, and my housekeeper."

Ana shook her head. She'd never understand people with wealth.

The moment she stepped off of the plane she wanted to kiss the ground. The familiar air of Seattle, the lights... she finally felt like she was home.

* * *

The elevator opened letting Ana and Christian out into a large white foyer. Taylor followed with three bags of clothing that had been hand picked by his personal shopper at Neimens and brought out to the car by the time they arrived. Taylor had also run into a store to grab her personal items, such as a toothbrush and shampoo. She had been confused why she couldn't go in, but the last thing he wanted was to have a paparazzi snapping pictures of her.

They stepped forward and Christian watched as Ana looked around his apartment. He suddenly wished he would have decorated it more but at the time, the interior matched his sullen mood.

The smell of beef stew invaded their noses, and Christian suddenly felt very hungry after a long day. He had texted Gail when the flight had left to let her know to expect him and a guest, as well as to pick up some flowers. Ana needed something beautiful after so many years of ugly.

Christian walked towards the kitchen, hearing Ana following close behind. The silver space aged kitchen was enormous, and it was something he was very proud of, even though he did no cooking in it.

"Oh, Mr. Grey! Welcome home!" A middle aged blonde woman said who was fretting around. "And you must be Miss Steele. I've heard so much about you. My name is Mrs. Jones."

Ana smiled at her, "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Jones. It smells amazing in here. I'm going to go ahead and assume you do all of the cooking for Christian."

"Hey, I can cook.." Christian scowled as the two women giggled. He reached over to the vase of red and white roses and pushed them towards her. "For you."

Ana gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "They're beautiful. Why would you get these for me?"

"Mr. Grey's a bit of a romantic when he wants to be.." He heard Gail whisper and he raised his eyebrows in response. Never had Gail been so bold.

"I think we have it from here Mrs. Jones." He hissed through his teeth.

"Yes Sir." And she left with a smirk much to his shock.

When Christian turned to face Ana she was leaning over the counter, her face in the roses. She inhaled, her eyes closing.

"Why don't you go get changed, and I'll serve us?" He said.

"Do I have time for a shower? Because I honestly can't think of anything better right now."

* * *

Anastasia stared at herself in his gigantic mirror, partially wondering exactly why he needed such a big bathroom. The large granite counter top was enough to fit multiple people standing at it, and the shower... well, it had taken her at least ten minutes to even figure out how to turn it on.

She wondered vaguely why he was single. He was absolutely gorgeous, and frankly a lot sweeter than she remembered him to be.

On the way over, Christian had asked her clothing sizes. He had made one call and a man ran out to the car with multiple bags full of clothes. _Was this his life? A simple phone call and things happened?_

The outfit she chose out of the bags was a knee length flowing dark blue dress with sleeves that went to her elbows. The front of the dress accentuated her cleavage, but not by much. The bra that had been picked out for her pushed her breasts up and matched the panties she wore.

Ana wondered to herself why she chose this attire, and then she realized: she _wanted to feel pretty_. She had spent too many years not caring about her appearance, only throwing something on, in a state of constant moving.

She ruffled up her hair before turning around and glancing once more at the grandiose bathroom. She shook her head slightly and began her journey back into the kitchen.

* * *

Upon hearing the shower turn off, Christian began spooning the stew into the bowls that Gail had placed out. He had poured them both a glass of wine, and ended up having to pour himself another one.

 _Why am I nervous?_ He wondered to himself, shaking his head. He found it ironic that generally _he_ was served, by either Gail, or when he had them, his submissive's.

He exuded confidence in everything, but now... all of a sudden having Ana back, he felt unsure of what to do. They hadn't bonded, hadn't gotten along. What would they talk about? Not to mention, she was the first woman in his apartment that wasn't there for sexual purposes, aside from his housekeeper and mother.

Christian had so many questions for her, but he felt uncomfortable asking them. _'why didn't you leave?', 'why didn't you call us?', 'why didn't you report them?',_ He found himself almost mad at her for staying so many years.

He had changed while she was showering into a black v-neck t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. Christian knew he looked good, the stares from women each day told him so, but he was trying to be comfortable, not impress her.

"Hey.." He turned to see her standing in the foyer, barefoot, but in a beautiful dark blue dress that enhanced her features.

 _Holy shit._ He suddenly regretted his change of clothing.

"Wow.." His mouth dropped and his eyebrows raised. He composed himself quickly, turning around and grabbing her glass to hand to her. "To you.. to having you back."

"To realizing my life was a lie." She clinked glasses with him and frowned before taking a sip. She sat at the breakfast bar before looking at Christian who sat beside her. "Christian, I want to know everything I missed.. Mia, Elliot, your parents... you. Everything, _please._ "

He took a bite of his stew, savoring the taste for a moment before taking a sip of wine. He looked at her, watched as she began to eat, waiting for him to speak.

"Mia has just returned from Paris. She attended a culinary school and dreams of opening her own restaurant." _If only she'd move out of her parents house, she could do that._

"Wow! She always talked about it." Ana gushed fondly.

"Elliot has started his own construction business. It's been very successful. He's also dating a young woman named Kate. You'd probably like her." _Considering that I can't stand her sometimes,_ he thought before continuing. "Grace and Carrick are doing well. They'll be better once they see you again, but they've been good. Right now they're busy planning their Coping Together event." To her confused look, he smiled. "It's an event my parents host each year.. you'll see."

"You still call them Grace and Carrick?" Her eyebrow raised out of curiosity. He remembered she had also asked him about it when they were younger.

"Well, not to their face.."

"Okay, so what about you? Tell me about you." She swished the wine in her glass.

"I'm the CEO of my own company. A large part of it is merges and acquisitions, but we also dabble in eco manufacturing, fiber optics, and telecommunications. I also own a share of a salons.. I work out, and I work. There's not much else to tell." _Of course there is_. Christian decided she didn't need to know about his past BDSM lifestyle.

Ana wrinkled her nose, "Sounds.. awfully boring."

"I enjoy it." He stood to grab her empty bowl, taking his and placing them in the sink for Gail to handle later. He motioned for her to follow him, walking towards the fireplace and taking a seat on the rug the lay before it. He patted the material.

She followed him, bringing her glass and sitting, curling her legs beneath her.

"Tell me about you.. I have a lot of questions for you Ana."

"I'm sure you do."

"I saw that you had registered for schooling online at Florida State University.."

"Yes, I am about two semesters shy from my Bachelors in English Literature. However, I needed to attend classes on campus... so... that's why I haven't finished." She said awkwardly.

Christian cleared his throat, "Well, I didn't even finish school and look where I am." He grinned at her, giving her a small nudge. "So, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable Ana, because frankly I'm not sure how to ask this... but, why didn't you leave?"

* * *

Ana had wondered the same thing for years. _Why didn't I leave?_ Right now, sitting on a fluffy rug with Christian Grey in front of crackling fire place, she searched for an answer. "I don't know." She stated lamely.

"You don't... know?"

"Christian," She said exasperated, "You have to understand what it must have felt like. I tried to leave. Right before I left, your father told me to file for emancipation. I tried to contact him to speak with him about it, but I had no phone... and frankly, the only person's number I had memorized was Jose Rodriquez."

Christian scowled at the name.

"They weren't always like that. They were nice to me at first, and call me a naive sixteen year old girl, but I tried to make the best of a shit situation and get along with them. But I still wanted to come back home, so I filed for emancipation in the state of Georgia, where they took me back to."

"And?"

"And obviously it didn't work. The State of Georgia requires parental consent. And if they do not give the consent, the minor must give cause as to why it would be in their best interest to leave. Well, the problem was... I couldn't. They didn't consent, and for just some random CPS worker, the household looked good and apparently I looked well enough taken care of." She shook her head, finishing the wine. Christian rose to fill it again for her before she continued. "After he hit me for the first time, I wanted to call the cops. But I had no phone, and we had no house line."

"No house line." Christian repeated. "What about internet?"

"The internet activity was monitored. I was only ever able to do school work."

"So why didn't you tell anyone at your school?"

"I did!" Ana exclaimed. "The first school district I was in, I told the counselor. They opened an investigation, yet again... a CPS officer came to the house, and found _nothing wrong._ They told me I was trying to get attention, and the next day I was told we were moving. Frankly, the whole system in Georgia left something to be desired. So... I waited until I was eighteen, and I tried to leave." She a took breath, remembering that night.

 **** _TRIGGER WARNING: FLASHBACK**_**

 _Ana slowly opened the door, moving as quietly as she could. She had spent years waiting for this moment, her moment to leave. Her backpack was snug on her shoulders, the elephants trunk poking slightly out from the back. Her plan was simple. She'd leave, run as far as she could, and never turn back. She had found a small stack of money in their room when she cleaned it, and although she felt guilty for stealing, she only took enough to get herself a bus ticket._

 _She tiptoed across the floor, her heart pounding in her ears. Upon reaching the door, she moved to turn the door handle. Before she could, the light turned on._

 _"What are you doing Ana?" Stephen said her name with venom. She turned to see him standing there in his boxer shorts, his fists clenched at his sides._

 _She took a deep breath, "I'm leaving. I'm eighteen now. You can't keep me here anymore."_

 _"If you walk out that door Ana, I'm going to make you regret it." He began stepping towards her, and the moment he did, she turned the door handle and swung it open, making it as far as the porch._

 _Stephen grabbed her by the waist, and she kicked and screamed, but the street lay empty._

 _"Let me go!" She yelled, "HELP!" Nothing._

 _"You bitch." The door closed and he dropped her to the floor, immediately laying a swift kick in her ribs._

 _She cried out._

 _"I've given you a place to sleep... food to eat... and you try to leave?!" He kicked her again and she let out a sob. He leaned down, grabbing her by her hair and pulling her face up to his. Tears streaked her face, but she tried to keep quiet, knowing it would only make him worse. "I told you not to walk out that door Ana." He shoved her head back down, hitting the wooden floors. She watched as he walked towards the kitchen, but as much as she tried to move, the pain in her ribs prevented her._

 _She heard him shuffling through the silverware and let out a cry when he returned with a knife in hand._

 _"NO! No, please! I'm sorry!" She cried, and held up a hand to keep him away._

 _The moment he made to move towards her, was the same moment that a glass vase crashed over his head and he fell to the ground._

 _"ANA! Anastasia! What did he do to you?! What happened?!" Carla cried as she dropped to her knees. "My girl, my poor girl." She helped Ana up as best she could, Ana wincing as she moved. "Come on, we need to go before he wakes up."_

 _"You.. you saved me." Ana said in disbelief._

 _"Of course I did. I love you Ana. I wasn't going to let him hurt you anymore."_

* * *

Christian listened to her talk with his mouth open. It had been easy and quick to question why she stayed, but then he also knew that such was the case with many abusive relationships. He made a mental note to make her an appointment with Flynn.

"I don't... I don't know how you're still mentally sound Ana."

She let out a laugh, shaking her head as she wiped a stray tear from her eye. "I don't think I am Christian."

"I'm going to make sure she rots in jail Ana. I'm going to get you justice." He said, the determination in his voice audible. "No one is _ever_ going to hurt you again. I promise you."

Anastasia stared at him, something he couldn't place in her eyes. She sat up on her knees, and leaned forward, placing her lips lightly against his in a soft kiss. When she moved back, she said quietly, "thank you Christian.", leaving him in a state of shock.


	6. Chapter 6: Be Still

Christian stared at the his bedroom ceiling. One arm lay above his hand, the other with his hand resting on his toned stomach. His bedroom drapes were opened, letting streams of moonlight in.

There was no way he'd be able to get any sleep after the day and night he had had. He sat up in the bed, his fists digging into the mattress. He rolled his neck, before letting out an exasperated sigh.

 _Why had she kissed him?_

He hadn't minded, that wasn't the issue. It was more that now that she had kissed him, it was the only thing he could think about. It wasn't like Ana hadn't ever interested him before. As a growing teenager, it wasn't as if he hadn't noticed her. She was beautiful, she always had been. But she had lived with them, and frankly... after Elena... he couldn't think about much else.

He remembered the pang of jealousy he felt when she returned from her date with _Jose._ He wasn't sure at the time why he felt it considering there was nothing between him, but he realized now that perhaps he may have felt something for her at such a young age.

She was right. They had never gotten along. He envied her and her strength. Even now, after everything she had been through, she didn't seem half as messed up as he was. On top of it, he was jealous that Grace and Carrick would have someone else to look after. It had taken him a while to reach that conclusion, but he finally had.

Grace had been his angel. She had been the first thing he had seen at the age of four in the emergency room. She hadn't made him uncomfortable, and she made him feel safe. It had taken longer to warm up to both Elliot and Carrick, and even when Mia came along she was just a baby so he felt protective of her. But Ana had immediately enraptured everyone around him, even his grandparents. He wished that he had fit in that easily.

He felt off, and he knew part of it had to do with his lack of submissive's for the past six months. But he had given it up, the lifestyle. It had taken years, but he finally realized he wasn't getting what he wanted out of it anymore. He wasn't sure exactly _what_ he wanted, but the women that he had weren't fulfilling anymore. Too many times they had declared their love for him, and he wouldn't reciprocate. He wondered vaguely if he should start going back to the club again...

Elena hadn't taken his realization lightly, and in fact, she still continued to try and send him women. He was becoming fed up with her more and more lately.

Christian stood and walked to his window, staring out at the bright lights of Seattle. He wondered what Ana would want to do the next day, and contemplated 'showing her the town'.

"Knock it off Grey.." He murmured to himself. He reminded himself that Ana wouldn't want him that way, and she needed to take time for her herself. Even after she kissed him, she looked like she was going to freak out.

He exited his bedroom, walking into his living space where his piano sat. The marble floors felt good on his bare feet. He sat at the piano letting his fingers drag along the keys. He wouldn't play, he didn't want to wake Ana.

The night had ended abruptly after the kiss, and Gail had shown Ana to the guest room. He hadn't seen her room at Carla's, but he assumed what he had to offer would be better than anything else.

Christian knew his family was more than happy to see her.

 _ **Flashback, Three Years Ago**_

 _"Hello Mother." Christian said he kissed Grace's cheek. In a rare moment, he had invited his parents to his condo to speak with them. Gail had even prepared dinner, which he knew would surprise them even more._

 _They had only ever eaten dinner at his apartment twice since he had purchased it._

 _"Father", they shook hands and he led them to the table._

 _The salads had already been placed out, a starter for the rest of the meal._

 _"Christian, is everything okay?" His father asked, looking even more confused as he was handed a glass of brandy._

 _"Yes, I needed to speak with you both about something and I figured why not also have dinner to make it a more... comfortable conversation."_

 _They sat, and Christian cleared his throat. "As you know, my business is going very well."_

 _"And we're very proud of you Christian." Grace said with a smile._

 _"Thank you mother. With the help of Ros, I've been able to invest a little more of time in something else."_

 _"What's that?"_

 _"Finding Ana."_

 _His mother dropped her fork and it clinked on the salad dish. "What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean that something is wrong. Ana loved you both, there would be no way that she wouldn't have contacted either of you since she left."_

 _"Son, it's been years. We've tried to get a hold of Carla, she clearly doesn't want us speaking to her daughter."_

 _"I understand that, but Ana is of age now. She has been.. Carla can't tell her not to contact you and I know that would have been the first thing she'd want. What else explains it?"_

 _Grace and Carrick exchanged a look. "Your mother has felt guilty for years. Perhaps Ana hasn't contacted us because we didn't fight harder to keep her."_

 _"There was nothing we could do.." Grace began crying, and Mrs. Jones immediately approached with tissues._

 _"Mother, i'm going to find her. I know Ana and I didn't... see eye to eye, but I know she would be back by now or at least called, or wrote unless there was something wrong. I mean, for fucks sake she could have e-mailed!"_

 _"_ Christian!" _His mother chided him for his language._

 _"We see your point son, but... why are you doing this? You're a businessman, new at it in fact no matter how successful you already are.."_

 _Why_ was _he doing this?_

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

Why _did_ he do it? He had been asked by multiple family members and work colleagues, and he still was unable to give a satisfactory answer. He had convinced himself that it was because of his mother, that he just wanted her to be happy, but Christian knew it was something else as well.

He was broken from his thoughts at the sound of a cry. Immediately he jumped up and ran to the source: the guest bedroom. He heard another cry.

Christian swung the door open to see Ana thrashing in the bed.

 _"NO!"_ She cried, " _Please, no! Don't hurt me! Please!"_

She had nightmares. Just like him.

He jumped onto the bed, despite the fact that he was only in his black boxers briefs and grabbed her gently by the face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. She was covered in sweat.

"Ana... Ana baby, you're fine. No one's going to hurt you." _Baby?_ "Ana.. come on, wake up. You're okay."

Slowly her eyes opened, and she yelled out in shock at seeing him above her.

"You were having a nightmare. You're okay." He continued to stroke her face.

She immediately began to cry, heaving sobs as she collapsed from the weight of the stress she was under.

"It's okay.." He murmured, laying the bed next to her and pulling her into his arms. Her face immediately fell onto his chest where she continued to cry and he froze, waiting for the panic to set in. It never did.

After he deep breath, he rubbed her back, letting her cry out every emotion she had.

"It's okay."

 _ **Flashback, The Day of Rays Funeral**_

 _This was his first funeral, and he hated it. Everyone was crying, it was raining, and his arm was hurting from holding the umbrella above Ana's head._

 _'That's what a gentleman does,' his father said, and so he did it._

 _Grace had told him he was too young, that he didn't need to go, but for some reason he felt the obligation. He had been mean to Ana, and she had just lost her dad, just as he had lost his birth mother._

 _He watched as she placed a white rose onto the casket. She then flung herself at it, wrapping her arms around the ornate box. Christian didn't know what came over him, but he dropped the umbrella and grabbed her._

 _She dropped her head on his chest and began to cry._

 _She was the first person to have ever touched his chest without him freaking out, and he had no idea why._

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

Ana woke with a start, feeling warmer than usual. The source of the heat was to her left: Christian Grey.

 _Why am I in bed with Christian Grey?_ She thought in a panic. Yes, she had kissed him last night momentarily, but.. She paused, remembering vaguely her nightmare and him holding her as she cried.

She moved from him slowly and took a moment to openly stare at him. His body was the epitome of sexy with just the right amount of muscular. She stared at the happy trail that led down into his boxer briefs. And then stared at his... _package,_ which was so very obvious beneath the fabric. She jumped as he began to stir and she turned away from him, hoping to at least make sure her face wasn't too puffy before he saw her.

"I must have feel asleep." She heard him say groggily. "What time is it... _shit._ " She looked to see him standing quickly. He stretched, unashamed at his physical state. "I told my mother we'd meet her at noon. It's eleven, so we should get ready. Good morning by the way... how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Thank you." She blushed, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry you had to see that last night."

"Don't be. I understand more than you think."

* * *

"So... about last night." Ana began, but Christian held up a hand, the other on the wheel of his Spyder.

"Don't. Don't make any of this more complicated than it should be." He said with a smile and she smiled with relief. He was already making it complicated enough in his head, he didn't need her thinking about it as well.

"I'm very nervous."

"I see this."

She looked beautiful in a pair of straight legged white jeans, and a blue blouse that complimented her eyes. However, she had been repeatedly either tugging on her lip with her teeth, or picking at the skin of her thumb.

"Ana..." He said as the car slowed in their driveway. "They're nervous too.."

* * *

Ana stared at the mansion she had called home once. It had been painted, a lighter shade than it was before. The landscaping was different, multiple flowering trees now in the yard, with flowered bushes on either side of the front door.

She felt her heart racing a million miles a minute as she stepped out of the car, and she immediately gravitated to Christian, her hand going into his. He didn't question it but seemed to understand.

"Do I knock... or?" She let out a small laugh looking at him as they approached the front door. He nodded for her to open it.

She grabbed the familiar ornate handle and turned it, her eyes closing as it clicked open.

 _She was home._

They stepped inside, and she could smell something amazing. She vaguely wondered if Linda was still their housekeeper.

"MOTHER!" Christian yelled, his voice echoing off of the empty foyer.

"Holy SHIT! ANA!" Ana turned her head to see Elliot barging towards her, wrapping her in a hug that she was sure would break her. He was more muscular and burly than she remembered him. _Same blonde curls._

"Elliot!" She yelled excitedly and he kept her in a hug for a moment before letting go.

"Mia! Come downstairs!"

A squeal echoed and a beautiful woman came running down the stairs, her hair cut into a short stacked black bob.

"Mia?! Oh my gosh, you've grown!" The girls embraced, holding onto each other tightly until Ana felt Christian touch her arm lightly. She turned her head wiping her fresh tears to see the two people that had been in her mind for years.

Grace stood before her, holding both hands over her mouth in silence, as if unsure whether she was really there. Carrick stood beside her with a hand on her shoulder, steadying either himself or his wife.

Ana finally felt the biggest weight off of her shoulders the moment she was wrapped within their arms.

* * *

"This is.. literally a dream come true Son." Carrick said to Christian as Ana walked from person to person, crying and laughing.

Christian said nothing, but stared at the beautiful brunette.

"She's grown up. She looks beautiful." Carrick continued.

"Yes, she does." Christian allowed a small smile onto his face and his father raised a brow saying nothing.

"Kids," Carrick clapped his hands together, "Why don't we eat? Gretchen cooked us a wonderful lunch."

"Gretchen?" Ana asked, confused. "Where's Linda?"

"Oh she retired. She has multiple grandchildren now, so she's with them." Grace said, her arm around Ana's shoulders.

They sat, and Christian felt a pang of jealousy that she hadn't sat with him. _Knock it off Grey,_ he scolded himself once more.

* * *

Ana felt content sitting at the table with her family. Just the morning before, she had never expected to even see them again and yet here they were.

Because of Christian.

He sat quietly in his seat, and Ana suddenly wished she had sat next to him. She owed everything to him.

"Are we missing someone?" She piped up, staring at the additional plate on the table.

"OH, my girlfriend. She should be here in a minute. You'll like her Ana." Elliot said looking at his wrist watch. As if on cue, a blonde woman stepped into the dining room, kissing both Carrick and Grace on the cheek. "Katie girl!"

She was a beautiful woman, her hair wavy and full and her bright eyes friendly. She was dressed to kill in a red top with black capris.

Realizing Ana was sitting next to Elliot and she have to move she stood, immediately coming face to face with the girl.

"Hi there." Kate smiled at her and began to move past her until her eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh my... you're Ana!"

"Katie girl, this is Ana. Ana, this is my Katie girl."

"Also known as just Kate." The blonde said, and though Ana lifted a hand to wave, she was swept up into a hug. "I have heard _so much_ about you. We are going to be such good friends."

Ana immediately liked her. She looked around to see the only seat open to be the one next to Christian and she noticed the grin on his face as she sat there.

"Miss me?" He whispered to her, and she let out a small nervous laugh. _Was he flirting with her?_

* * *

"I would like to make a toast." Carrick stood, his glass raised. They all raised there's as well. "To Ana. We've missed you more than you know these past years, and there's nothing left to say except that we're so happy you're home." They went to cheers until he continued, "And also.. to Christian."

The family members turned their gaze on him, including Ana who stared at him with a warmth in her eyes.

"For using his resources, and time... to bring Ana back home. We'll forever be grateful."

"To Ana and Christian." The tabled chimed.

"To Christian." Ana repeated, before sipping her drink.

* * *

"So Mia, any boyfriend from Paris?" Ana asked.

"Hah. I wish!" Mia replied.

Mia's room was almost the same as it was when Ana had lived there. Her furniture was white as it always had been, the walls a pale pink. Her blankets, sheets... the frames in her room, _all pink._ The only difference in her room now, was the tons of pictures from Paris that she must have taken.

"What about you? Any boyfriends?" Mia asked back and Ana rolled her eyes.

"No. The last boy I dated was.. well, Jose Rodriguez."

" _What?!_ That was like.. a million years ago Ana!"

"Trust me Mia, I wasn't able to date when I was gone."

Suddenly Kate's blonde head popped in the room. "Well, you and Christian look _gorgeous_ together."

Ana jumped, and Mia laughed. "You'll get used to her doing that. She's a journalist.. she's nosy." She said looking at Kate fondly.

Kate winked and stepped back of the room as she heard Elliot yell for her. Ana looked after her, confused, standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Christian and I?" Ana scoffed, " _No._ First, he's like.. my adoptive parents.. son."

"Well, they didn't adopt you." Mia chimed in, "You said _no_ , remember? You're more like the friend who came to stay the night but never left."

Ana nudged her arm, "I'd like to think I was more than that!"

"Well of course. But, Kate's right.. you do look gorgeous together. He's been looking at you since you've gotten here."

Ana flopped onto the bed, leaning back on the fluffy pink blanket. "Probably because he's waiting for me to have a psychotic breakdown." She mumbled.

"It was really bad, huh?" Mia asked softly sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah."

"Well, you're back. Anything you want to do to get your mind off of it."

"I want to eat an ice cream sundae. I know that sounds silly.. but I haven't had one in seven years.."

"I'll make it happen!"

* * *

"Was this your idea?" Christian asked as Gretchen finished up the sundae bar, complete with caramel, chocolate syrup, sprinkles and cherries. Dinner had been finished over an hour ago, and they had been lounging outside by the fire pit, both Christian and his father with a glass of brandy.

Ana looked at him, and suddenly felt very shy thinking of what Kate had said. She shook it off and grinned. "I love ice cream sundaes. Plus, are you complaining?" She nudged him and he gave her a look that made her feel as if the ice cream would melt.

She noticed from the corner of her eye that Grace and Carrick looked at them with interest. Ana cleared her throat stepping away from him to fill her bowl.

They returned to their spots by the fire pit. Ana smiled at the sight of Kate under Elliot's arm. _They looked good together._ Christian, it seemed, purposely avoided sitting near her with his bowl and made it her heart sink for a moment.

* * *

"Thank you for sitting and meeting with us here Ana. I'd like to not go over your ordeal just yet, as I know was extremely traumatic." Carrick began. He sat in his office at his desk, both Christian and Ana sitting across from them.

Christian sat with ease in the leather chair, and Ana felt nervous with the serious atmosphere.

"Christian, Grace and I have all spoken and we'd like this to be easy, so please don't make it hard Ana." He handed her an envelope that felt heavy.

She shook it, it sounded like... _money._ She opened it, looking inside and gasping. She had never seen so many one hundred dollar bills. "Carrick I-"

"Ana, no! It doesn't matter the years that have gone by, Ray entrusted you to our care and even though you've just come back, we're going to honor his wishes. Now, I'd hope that you would go and open a bank account, and use that money to get yourself on your feet. Christian, go ahead."

Christian turned in his chair, looking at her. "Tomorrow morning I've arranged for us to go to a car dealer, and we're going to pick you up a car."

"No, I'm sorry but that's too much. I can take a bus, or a cab."

"Anastasia," Christian scolded, and she suddenly felt like a child. She furrowed her brow at him, "It's not safe for you to take a bus or a cab. Not to mention that most employers in this town will not hire you if you have no car. I also have a friend that I've contacted today that is interesting in meeting you and interviewing you."

She took a deep breath, that feeling of being overwhelmed coming back once more. They wanted to help her, why was she fighting it?

"Okay. Thank you both, so much. I really don't know how i'd be able to get through this without any of you."


	7. Chapter 7: Mixed Signals

Ana let her head fall back onto the headrest of the Spyder as Christian drove. She noticed he must have been taking a long way because they had been in the car much longer this time. Her hair whipped in the wind, which made her feel relaxed and free. With promises that she'd be back to Grace and Carrick's she had said her goodbyes, giving many hugs and kisses.

Kate had given her a piece of paper with her phone number since Ana didn't currently have a phone. With the money Carrick had given her, it was one of the first things she planned on getting. That, and a proper clothes for a job interview.

Christian had divulged more information about the job once they were in the car. A friend of his worked in a publishing house, and they were advertising for a new assistant. It was an entry-level job, but it sounded wonderful.

"You're very quiet." Christian concluded, giving her a side glance.

She looked to him and shrugged, a goofy smile on her face. "This has been the best day I've had in a very long time."

"I'm glad."

"So, where are you taking me? Because I'm pretty sure we'd be back to your place by now."

"It's a surprise."

She stared at him, the moon reflecting off of his face. He had a small bit of stubble on his chin, and she had felt it against her when she had kissed him. _She wanted to kiss him again._

When they were younger, Ana had never looked at Christian as anything but the moody teenager that lived in the house. Unlike Mia and Elliot, he didn't give her the time of day. Only at the age of 15 did he stop fighting in school, and she had hoped that it was because he had matured. But even then, they didn't get along. She had noticed of course that as he grew he was becoming more and more handsome, but Ana had never thought about him in any way other than an acquaintance.

Now, however, Ana was sure there was probably no woman that would be able to resist his charms. He was gorgeous, and most of all, he was kind to her. She wondered why.

The car began to slow and they pulled onto a gravel road. The sky was so clear she could see each star, untainted by the city lights. _How far had they gone?_

They stopped, and Ana stepped out of the car with Christian and began following him.

She noted that he began unbuttoning his shirt. She stopped in her tracks at what she saw in front of her.

 _The ocean._

"You told me in Florida that the ocean made it easier for you to breathe. That you didn't feel trapped or claustrophobic with it.." Christian began, pulling off his shirt. "I know this has all been so overwhelming." He kicked off his shoes and socks. "So I thought we could come here, and you'd feel better."

Ana gasped at the fact that he would have even thought of this. "Why are you taking off your clothes?" She asked with a laugh.

"Not all of them... just the ones I don't want wet. I'm going swimming."

She took a deep breath, watching him. She'd so freely removed her clothes the day before in front of him. What was so different now? It would be like a bathing suit. She pulled the blue blouse over her head and shimmied the white jeans off. Her breasts were held in by a lacy blue bra, her panties matching. Ana watched as he eyed her from the water, sinking to his knees so the water reached his throat.

Her toes sunk into the sand as she approached the waves that crashed lightly onto the shore. She stood, ankle deep for a moment, taking in a deep breath. _He was right._ She did need this to feel better. She continued to walk in, shivering as the water hit more of her body. Finally, she stood at the same level as Christian and dunked her head in, wetting her hair and face. Ana blinked the salt water out of her eyes and stared at him as he waded in the water, looking at her. He didn't smile, he didn't laugh... he just watched her.

"You are nothing like how you used to be." She said lightly, moving with the waves as they rolled past them.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this." She splashed the water slightly. "And.. letting me stay with you. And _finding me in freakin' Florida!_ Giving me clothes, giving me a _car_. You were a douche Christian Grey. Now you might be the sweetest person I've ever known."

His frown deepened and she wondered why.

"That wasn't an insult." She said softly swimming closer to him.

"I just wouldn't be so quick to come to a conclusion on the type of person I am Ana."

The way he said it made her shiver. He cleared his throat, "So.. Kate offered you a room to stay.. you'd get along with her I think."

Now it was her turn to frown, "Yes, I think I'd like to get to know her a little better first though."

"Understandable. Elliot's always inviting me to go out with them. I can make the plans if you'd like?"

"Like a date?"

"Well, no." He paused for a moment as she looked disappointed. "I mean.. it can be?" He suggested. He seemed oddly nervous. His 'flirting' and 'dating' experience had been limited, and he wasn't sure what to do or say.

She just laughed and shook her head. "It's fine, Christian. This is amazing. Thank you... again. I mean I don't ever think I can say thank you enough." She waded around, the feeling of the water heavenly, albeit a little cold.

He reached over to her in the water, tucking a stray strand of wet hair behind her ears. "You look absolutely stunning in the moonlight Ana."

She blushed, and bit her bottom lip in thought. _She wanted to kiss him again,_ she thought again. And so she leaned forward, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Ana, stop."

Her eyes opened and she immediately felt a pang of something that felt like disappointed and embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" He asked, confusion on his face.

 _He hadn't been flirting with her. He didn't want to kiss her back._

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry." She turned, moving to swim away into the water until he grabbed her by the hand, pulling her back. She effortlessly glided towards him.

"Ana, why do you want to kiss me? Why did you kiss me last night? You don't even know me."

"I've known you since I was eleven Christian." She scoffed.

"But you don't _know me_. You don't know who I _am._ I'm fucked up Ana, you don't want to get involved with me... trust me."

"Okay, first, I'm _probably_ a little more fucked up. And second, I just wanted to kiss you.. because you look gorgeous in the water, and I haven't kissed anyone in _years_ except for last night which _wasn't_ even a real kiss. I'm not asking to date you Christian... I just wanted to kiss you."

He stared at her, his brow furrowed and deep and thought. " _Fuck it._ " He growled and grabbed her by the face, crashing his lips against hers.

* * *

She was _so soft,_ her lips molding against his. And he was becoming _so hard._ His hands held onto the sides of her face before moving into her hair. Her hands were on his arm and moving to the back of his neck. He felt her move closer to him and wrap her legs around him. Her mouth opened and his tongue immediately dove in to stroke against hers.

An incoming wave pushed her down against him and he let out an audible groan into her mouth. _He needed to stop, before he couldn't._

"Ana... Ana..." He said in between kisses. He pulled his head away, "We need to stop." He commanded.

"Why?"

"Because you're swept up in all sorts of emotions right now and I don't want you to do something you're going to regret." It pained him to say it.

She nodded, breathing heavily. "You're right.. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You got your kiss."

"I got my kiss."

* * *

Taylor stood next to Christian breathing heavily and bent over with his hands on his knees. The eleven mile run had been what Christian needed, something to get his mind off of the woman that was sleeping in his guest bedroom.

He needed to make sure that the night before wouldn't happen again. She needed to go stay with his parents.

"Gonna make it?" Christian asked Taylor who finally stood up straight.

"Eleven miles? _Really?_ "

"I have a lot on my mind." Christian said as he stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the penthouse.

* * *

Ana stood on the car lot looking unsure. He had spent his entire car ride with her on the phone, with Taylor driving.

The incompetent employee from London was now fired, and while he was fired up and ready to yell at more people when he hung up the phone, he saw Ana with wide eyes and the flame died down. Until she laughed at him.

 _"Are you laughing at me?" He had asked, his eyes narrowed. People_ feared _him, not laughed at him._

 _In a fit of giggles she put her hand on her chest, trying to shake her head. "I'm sorry - just hearing you talk like that made me thankful I will never work for you. And then I thought about when you wiped out on your bike when you were fourteen and your pants ripped!" She giggled again, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I thought about that, but now I don't think I can ever take you seriously!"_

 _He began laughing with her, shocking Taylor in the front seat._

"So... where are the cheap used cars?" Ana asked the salesman who immediately looked to Christian with a fearful look. Christian knew the commission he'd been planning on making from this sale.

"Ana, don't be silly. This is an AUDI dealership, there are no used cheap cars." Christian said with a chuckle, hands in the pockets of his slacks as he walked forward.

"Have you seen the new Audi A7? Top of the line safety and technology." The salesman turned to Christian, realizing that he was the one with the money.

"Lets see it." They followed the man to a sleek red sedan. Christian watched as Ana's mouth dropped as she looked it over.

He enjoyed making her happy.

* * *

"I still cannot believe you just bought me a sixty eight thousand dollar car." Ana groaned, her head in her hands. Her car would be arriving at Bellevue tomorrow where she would be staying. She suddenly felt pained at the thought.

"Think of it as every birthday I missed of yours." Christian replied as they pulled up to his parents house. "Oh, Elliot and Kate would like to go out this Friday if that's fine with you. I think dinner and dancing, they said."

"Will I see you before then?"

"Not likely. I have plenty of business I need to catch up on."

She frowned, looking at her fingers. _Three days?_

"Are you going to miss me?" He said playfully, reaching out to stroke her cheek with his thumb.

She answered truthfully, "Yes."

He forced a smile, before clearing his throat. "Well, I need to be going."

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry. I'll.. see you Friday?"

"I'll see you Friday baby."

She shut the door and he drove away.

 _Did he just call her baby?_

* * *

"Ana, I hope you don't mind I invited Kate over to join in our girls night." Mia said as Ana entered her room, seeing Kate also sitting on the bed.

Both girls were already changed into their pajamas, Mia in fluffy pink shorts and a t-shirt and Kate in a silk pair of pants and a matching red and black tank top.

"Oh of course not." Ana had placed her items in her old room, shocked to see that nothing changed. It had made her cry for at least a solid five minutes.

Mia had popcorn made, as well as milkshakes that were ready to be drank. Ana wondered if she'd ever be able to live without a housekeeper.

"So I hear we're on for our double date on Friday night." Kate said as she sipped on her milkshake.

" _Whoa!_ Double date?! With who?" Mia asked looking between the two girls.

"It's not a date.."

"It is _definitely_ a date."

"Who?!"

"Christian." Ana said with her hands over her face. She fell back onto one of the pillows that were laid out.

Mia grinned at her, "I _told_ you he had the hots for you!"

"He doesn't Mia, and that's honestly the last thing on my mind," She lied. It was actually the first thing, which was welcoming considering the other things including Carla, Stephen Morton and her wasted years.

"This is so _exciting!_ " Mia squealed, clapping her hands together. "Oh my gosh, we need to find you something _hot_ to wear! We'll go tomorrow and, _oh my gosh - what if you guys kiss?!"_

Ana blushed, looking away from both Mia and Kate suddenly finding a stray piece of fabric on her shirt interesting.

Kate, her brow perking, smirked knowingly, "You already did." She slid onto the floor, a big smile on her face. " _When?_ Dish girl."

And Ana, who hadn't had girl talk in years, had a sudden urge to divulge everything.

"He took you to the beach?" Mia asked.

"Yes, it was very sweet.." Ana explained about the location in Florida she'd go to.

"... _anddd_ we kissed. Like I've never kissed before.." Ana said, and Mia wrinkled her nose.

"What Mia? I think it's sweet." Said Kate.

"Okay, because he's not your brother.. did you miss the part where he was almost naked?"

"It wasn't like that Mia. He doesn't think of me that way.. I just wanted to honestly... kiss a man for the first time in forever and he just happened to be there."

"Ana, listen.. I've known Christian for the past year of me dating Elliot," Kate said, her hands moving animatedly as she spoke. "He's a dick. I mean, a total asshole. He doesn't take women to beaches and be romantic with them.. or buy them things. He _must_ feel something for you if he's doing those things. Trust me."

"I think he feels guilty for some reason, I don't know." Ana shrugged grabbing a fistful of popcorn before feeling her pocket vibrate.

She had gladly picked up her new phone today, taking advantage of one of those contacts where she'd receive a free new iPhone. It may have been the nicest thing she had... until her car would arrive at least.

Ana stared at the name and smiled before standing and walking quickly out of the room much to Kate and Mia's amusement.

"Tell Christian we said hi!" They said in a fit of giggles.

* * *

Christian stood in his apartment, arms crossed over his bare chest as he stared out of the window at Seattle. The room was quiet after he finished playing his piano, the somber noise having filled the room for about an hour.

He turned, grabbing his cell phone from the piano cover and dialed Ana's number. The phone rang a few times and he frowned before she picked up. He could hear giggling in the background.

 _"Hello?"_

"Ana, it's me."

 _"Hi Christian. Is everything okay?"_

"Of course," He paused. Why had he called her exactly?

 _"Oh, okay. Sorry, they're so loud."_

He said nothing for a moment.

 _"Christian?"_

"Sorry, are you enjoying your night?"

 _"I am. I do miss you though."_

 _I miss you too,_ he thought. "We'll see each other in a few days."

 _"Yea.."_ She paused, _"Why are you calling me Christian?"_

He pinched the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes at the same time. "I'm-I'm leaving town tomorrow for the East Coast.." He said lamely, "And I just wanted to make sure that everything is fine with your car, so just.. just let me know."

 _"O-Okay. I will."_

"Goodnight Ana."

 _"Goodnight,"_ The disappointment in her voice could be heard from the phone.

He threw the phone down onto the piano, "FUCK!" He screamed out into the foyer, his hands grasping at his hair.

 _What was he doing? What she was doing to him?_

* * *

"You wanted to see me?" Ana said as she stepped into Carrick's office.

She had spent the past hour fawning over the brand new car that had arrived in the driveway. She immediately texted Christian an, 'it's amazing!', with no reply back.

Carrick's office was a clear reflection of his personality. Warm, but serious. The dark wooden desk was covered in papers, though each were stacked in piles according to case, she assumed.

"Yes, Ana. Please take a seat." He said, his voice full of business.

She sat in one of the leather chairs, crossing one leg over the other and waiting.

"I assume you'd like to take your mother to court?" He asked bluntly, folding his hands together on the desk.

Ana paused, before speaking. "Yes, I would."

"I would like to represent you Ana, but due to the nature of our relationship with you, I am unable. I have a close friend of mine that is willing to represent you _pro bono._ "

"Wow, okay."

"But we're going to need a statement of your time with her, as well as your time when Stephen Morton was still around. We'd like to get her for not only fraud, but also a few other things."

"When do you need this?"

"We'd like it in the upcoming weeks if at all possible. I know it's hard for you to talk about it, but the quicker we can do this, the quicker it will be over."

Ana looked to her hands and took a deep breath. She wanted it to be over.

"Ana, I would also like to apologize you to, personally." He took ran a hand through his hair, a common trait in the family. "I wish we could have fought harder for you, and kept you here."

"I know there was nothing you could do. I don't want you to feel guilty."

"I'm just very happy you're back."

"Why did Christian do it?" Ana asked out of curiosity.

Carrick sat for a moment thinking, "I've asked him plenty of times Ana and I haven't gotten a straight answer, but I am happy he did."

"So am I."

He stared at her, "He's a good man Ana. A little unconventional at times, but he's a good man. I think this has been the most social he's been in a long time."

"I wonder why," She replied meekly looking at her hands. _Considering he was sending her tons of mixed signals._

"Because of you Ana."


	8. Chapter 8: Oh, but I want to

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews so far! This chapter will get a little naughty at one point, but that's what the M rating is for.**

* * *

 _Christian groaned, his head falling back as her lips took him in. Her hand slid up his stomach, grabbing at the small hairs. He positioned himself on his elbows to see her better. Her head bobbed up and down, and he grabbed a fistful of her brown hair, his eyes fluttering closed._

 _As he came, he uttered her name, "Ana..."_

Christian shot up out of bed, sweat covering his body. He sat on the side of the bed, his hard on still clearly evident from his _very_ vivid dream. He clenched his jaw, breathing heavily.

"What the fuck.." He muttered, before laying back down and eventually falling back into a night of restless sleep.

* * *

"That one. No questions, don't say a word. _That dress_." Kate said to Ana as she stepped from the dressing room. Mia, having been at a job interview, wasn't present, and so Ana and Kate took the time to bond.

The dress was form fitted and black, cutting low in the front but not too low, remaining classy. The black pumps she tried on were hard to walk in, but she could agree they completed the outfit. She felt attractive, and she chose to trust Kate's word.

When the dress was bagged, they stepped out onto the street walking and looking at the other stores. Kate was the first to talk.

"So, are you okay?" She asked looking at Ana from the corner of her eye.

Ana thought for a moment, "Yes."

"I've just heard you been asked that a few times in the past couple of days, and you always just say yes. But you can tell there's more behind it. I mean, I completely understand if you don't want to talk about it.. especially to me considering we've just met, but.. I'm here if you need to talk."

Ana said nothing for a moment as she stared at the road ahead of her. It was so nice to be surrounded by people and not have to worry about whether she would be caught by Stephen Morton, or hurt.

"Honestly Kate, right now.. I think I am okay. And it may be because I'm still getting used to this, or relishing in the fact that I'm not there, but I'm sure at some point it's going to hit me that I've really just lost six years of my life.." She said lightly, still looking forward.

"Well when that day comes, I'm here with a pint of ice cream and some wine."

"So where are we going?" Ana said, changing the subject.

"To get our hair and toes done, because frankly... you need it. No offense." Kate said, nudging her in a joking manner. _She was probably right._

* * *

They stepped into the building that read _Esclava_ on it. The interior was white, including the attire that the staff wore. Each person was perfectly put together, the majority of the staff blonde and petite, including the men.

"Wow, this place is a little much, don't you think?" Ana murmured to Kate.

"Oh, of course. _But_ , Graces best friend owns it, so we get a discount. I don't really like her to be honest, but this place really is the best." Kate replied stepping up to the counter. "Appointment for Kavanagh."

"Of course, hello Miss Kavanagh and Miss Steele. Right this way." The woman led them to two massage chairs where two other woman sat ready to begin on their nails.

"Katherine? Is that you?" A shrill voice said, and Kate immediately rolled her eyes, before brandishing a fake smile.

"Elena! Good to see you."

"And you dear." The woman, in a pure black ensemble looked just as Ana had remembered her. Her blonde hair was still just as platinum and cut into a sleek bob. Ana assumed plastic surgery must have been done.

"Hello Elena." Ana piped up, and the woman did a double take before gasping, her hand over her heart. It seemed a little _too_ dramatic.

"Anastasia? Oh _my_ , it's been _years_ darling! How are you?"

Ana suppressed a laugh. _So cheesy._ "I'm fine, how are you?"

"Wonderful darling. I'm surprised, Christian didn't tell me you were back."

"Why would he?"

"Oh, we chat here and there." The woman had a look that made Ana feel like it may have been more than that, but she shook it off. _Christian would be stupid to be involved with her._

Ana thought for a moment back to a previous conversation, "Wait.. does he own this with you?"

"Yes, he owns a share."

Kate spoke up, "Christian owns salons? How silly. He never mentioned."

Elena frowned and Ana noticed that it looked grotesque.

"So, what are you two doing here?"

"We're getting ready for a double date, with Elliot and Christian."

Her face changed immediately, but before Kate could notice it was back to her fake smile. Ana noticed, and concluded that something either was happening, or had already happened with her and Christian.

"Oh, well lovely! I'll let you two get to it then.. enjoy." And she stomped off to the back of the salon.

While they became lost in being pampered, Ana reached for her phone with her free hand and texted Christian.

 _Ana: So I'm in your salon. It's very white._

He replied immediately.

 _Christian: Why? What are you doing there?_

 _Ana: Kate is taking me to get my hair and nails done for tonight. I saw Elena Lincoln._

He didn't answer, but suddenly her phone was ringing. She picked it up, holding it against her ear as they grabbed her other hand to work on.

"Hello?"

 _"What did she say to you?"_ His voice sounded panicked.

"Oh, just that it was nice to see me.. and you hadn't said anything to her about me? Why? What's wrong?"

 _"Nothing.."_ He snapped quickly, _"She just... can be a little overbearing at times."_

"Oh." Ana chose to not ask him what was really on her mind.

 _"I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight."_

"You are?" She sounded desperate. _Keep it in check Ana._

 _"Of course Anastasia.."_ His voice heady and it made her smile.

"Well then I need to go, I'll see you later."

She hung up, unable to stop the spread of butterflies in her stomach.

* * *

"So you and Ana huh?" Elliot asked as he finished his beer and discarded it.

They stood in the living room of Kate's apartment, which was shockingly quite large. Christian stood in a pair of black slacks with a matching button up shirt and jacket. His dark copper hair was messy, mostly from his constant tugging of it. Elliot looked more lax as he generally did, his clothes brighter to match his personality.

"We're doing this for her to spend some time with Kate.." Christian replied lamely, his arms crossed over his chest. _He hated waiting._

Elliot let out a bark of a laugh. "Dude, they've been spending time together for days... c'mon, she's hot bro. She needs a little excitement in her life right now."

Christian glared at him before rolling his eyes and letting out a huff. "When are they planning..." He stopped short, his mouth immediately dropping open.

Both Kate and Ana entered the room, each looking beautiful, but he couldn't take his eyes from brunette.

She had gotten her hair trimmed and style and it fell in waves over her shoulders. Her nails had a french tip to them, a minor detail in the grand scheme of what he was looking at. She wore a black dress that hugged her curves, stopping below mid thigh, her legs going for miles until they reached the black pumps. The sweetheart neckline was classy, but showed enough of her cleavage to entice him. It wasn't until she giggled and did he turn that he thought he would need to adjust himself. The back was a unique mixture of sheer material and black floral lace that had an opening that took up most of her back.

 _Fuck... me._

"What do you think?" She said softly, her plump lips parting. Her eyes popped up the smoky black and grey makeup. "Christian?" She said a little more uncertainly.

"Um.." He cleared his throat, "You look lovely Anastasia." He said and he hear Elliot scoff and see him shaking his head. She looked slightly disappointed in his reaction, but quickly recovered.

"So," She clapped her hands together. "Where are we going?"

"My restaurant. The Mile High Club."

"Maybe we'll get to join Katie girl," Elliot said jokingly and following the blonde out of her apartment.

Christian cleared his throat again as he watched Ana step in front of him. _She was going to be the death of him._

* * *

"That was absolutely amazing." Ana groaned, her eyes rolling back and Christian did his best not to let out a shuddering breath.

The _entire meal_ he had watched her, and the _entire meal_ she had turned him on. From the way she sipped her wine, to the way she tipped her head back with the oysters. Even when she dabbed her mouth he found himself trying his hardest to control himself.

It had been too long since he had last had sex, and a small part of him hoped it wouldn't be too much longer.

She finally turned her head towards him, sipping on her glass of wine. "So, you own salons with Elena Lincoln."

Christian glanced to Elliot to see he was too busy talking to Kate to pay attention. "Yes, she needed help getting them started and in fact she had helped me get started in my business."

"Really? Wow.. I mean she obviously saw the potential in you."

 _That and she didn't want to lose me,_ Christian thought. He simply nodded.

"I may have understated my reaction in Kate's apartment, but you look absolutely gorgeous."

She smiled at him, a warm and caring smile. "And you look like a God, like you always do. I mean, I think every woman in here has been staring at you except for.. Kate."

"I don't care about those women Ana. I'm here with you."

Ana tugged on her bottom lip as she thought over his words.

"I think we need to go on double dates more with you Christian." Kate piped in with a smile, "This place really is fantastic."

"You and Elliot are welcome here anytime." Christian said to her, downing the remainder of his drink.

"Alright, _well_... I for one and tired of this boring conversation. I'm ready to party. We going to your place Christian?" Elliot chimed in, grinning from ear to ear.

"I thought we were going dancing?" Ana asked, suddenly confused.

Christian glanced at his brother before rolling his eyes. "He means my club."

"How many places do you own?" She squeaked. _Adorable._

"He pretty much owns half of Seattle." Kate grinned at Ana, also giving her a wink.

Ana began to speak, her mouth opening and then closing again. She lifted her hands up in the air in defeat.

* * *

As the car pulled up, Christian grasped at Ana's hand. "Ana, real quick.." He began as Kate and Elliot stepped out of the car. "I know you're not quite... aware of what I do, or who I am... but for whatever reason, paparazzi really like to photograph me, and they're going to see you with me and go crazy."

"Why would they do that?" Ana asked in return, relishing in the fact that he was holding her hand.

He let out an exasperated sigh, "Well, because they're fucking pariahs that have nothing better to do." He growled, and her eyes widened slightly. "Sorry. People want to know the ins and outs of my life... and I've never been photographed with a woman. If you'd like, I can bring you around back."

"Do you not want to be photographed with me?"

" _What?!_ No! That's not what I was saying Ana-"

"Then lets just go have fun. Please. I need it."

"Okay, let me go out first then.."

Christian opened the door and the moment he began to get out of the car, the cameras began flashing, not only because he was Christian Grey but also because it was his club. Shouts of questions rang out, but he ignored each of them. He reached his hand in for Ana, and if at all possible, they became crazier. She held up a hand in front of her face for a moment before dropping it and taking Christians arm.

The moment they were in the club, Ana let out a breath. "How do you _deal_ with that?!"

"I ignore it, honestly. Come, I've had my manager set us aside a private table. It looks like Elliot and Kate are there."

* * *

"WHOO!" Kate screamed as she slammed her third shot glass down onto the table. "Elliot! Lets dance! I want you to get naughty with me on the dance floor."

Elliot immediately stood, slamming his only shot glass down. "Hell yeah!" He drug her off to the dance floor and Christian grimaced.

He, himself, had had a few shots and was currently nursing a beer. Beside him, Ana had a mixed drink of gin and tonic that she sipped slowly. "Are you having fun?" He asked her.

She gave him a small nod, and a smile that was less than convincing.

"Ana," He scooted closer to her, "Whats wrong?"

She stared at him, thinking, before chugging the rest of her drink. With a grimace, she place the cup down and took a deep breath. Her words came out as a jumble, "i'mjustreallyconfusedaboutthewaythatyou'reactingtowardsme-"

"Whoa... whoa, slow down." He brushed a strand of hair over her shoulder and felt her shiver under his fingers.

"Okay. I'm _really_ confused about how you're acting towards me.. one moment, you're telling me you miss me.."

"I _did_ miss you."

"Then you're short with me and you snub me. I don't know if this is a date, or if this is a... friendly night."

He downed the rest of his beer. "Why don't we dance?"

"See, you're changing the subject!"

"I know.. because I'm not sure how to say what I want to say.. so please let me think of the right words and dance with me."

She stared at his outstretched hand for a moment before grabbing it, "Fine. One dance."

* * *

The music pounded in their ears as they entered the crowd of people. Ana could see the women looking at Christian and momentarily felt insecure. But as soon as the feeling was there, it was gone. She felt great at the moment, and while she was dreading what she was sure would eventually hit her, she didn't want to ruin the moment.

At least until she realized she'd never been dancing. The people around her moved with each other, their bodies wrapping one another in a sexual rhythm. She gulped and took a deep breath. _Nervousness does not look good on you_ , she thought.

She closed her eyes, listening to the beat and she began moving her hips. She felt herself becoming lost in it, until she realized that she was dancing alone. Her eyes opened, and she sat Christian standing there, a heated and torn look in his eyes. Before he could ruin the night, she followed suit of the other people, turning and placing her behind against him. She began to dance and hoped she wouldn't look like a fool if he didn't start dancing with her.

But he did. _Oh did he._

His hands immediately found her hips, before sliding to the front of her thighs. He moved well with the music, and she relaxed against him, one of her hands falling atop of his.

She felt warm with all of the people around her, but also because of the increasing bulge that was poking into her ass. His hands on her weren't helping either. She leaned her head back onto him, where it fell onto his shoulder and she let out a shocked gasp as his teeth tugged at the skin on her neck. She also let out a moan.

"Ana," She could barely hear his voice, but she could hear it, husky and deep. "You're killing me.."

She felt a warmth deep in her belly at his voice, his hands suddenly causing electricity to flow through her veins. She turned to look at him, and amidst all of the dancing bodies, they stood still. His eyes were hooded, burning into her. She placed her hand on his face and bit her lip.

"We shouldn't do this Ana.." But his voice said he already knew the fight was lost.

"Why Christian?" She said, pressing her body closer to his. He felt strong and manly.

"I'm wrong for you... it's wrong." He leaned his face towards her and captured her lips with his own, his hand moving down her body and grabbing onto her behind, kneading the flesh.

She inhaled his scent, parting her lips and allowing his tongue into her mouth. "Christian.."She whispered as his lips kissed on the side of her mouth and down to her neck. Her head fell back, and he caught it with his hand before bringing her lips back to him.

"I think it's time to go..." He finally said, his voice dripping with promise. "I'll tell Elliot and Kate Taylor will come back to get them.."

* * *

Her back hit his wall with such a force that she cried out, but she didn't care. One of his hands was tangled in her hair, while the other was on her thigh, slowly pushing her dress over her hips.

She suddenly felt nervous. _Were they going to have sex?_ She'd never been intimate with a man, her life with Carla didn't allow for any free time with anyone. _Should she tell him?_ She immediately knew she should.

He kissed down her neck and down to her chest, nipping at the flesh above her breasts. His hands were already unbuttoning his shirt, before tugging it off and throwing it onto the floor.

 _Oh yes._

 _"Ah..._ Christian.." She said, suddenly feeling worried about his reaction. _Would he be mad? Disgusted?_ "Christian, please... stop."

It took him a moment but he finally did, breathing heavily. She looked down to the tent in his pants and suddenly felt very guilty.

"I need to tell you something..."

"What baby?" He kissed her neck again, and her eyes fluttered closed, her breath hitching in her throat.

"I.. I've never..." She closed her eyes tight, her face turning flush.

He paused, leaning back lightly before grabbing her face. "Ana... have you.. never been with a man?"

With her eyes closed, she shook her head. "I'm sorry..."

" _Fuck.._ " He stepped away from her, grabbing at his hair with his hands.

She wanted to cry. He didn't want her anymore.. she wasn't experienced enough for him.

He finally turned from her and frowned at her face, "What's wrong..?"

She took a shuddering a breath. "I'm sorry.." She repeated, "I understand if you want me to go."

* * *

Christian felt torn. On one hand, he wanted her and the erection between his legs was screaming that. On the other hand, she deserved better. She had seemed so strong despite all of her hardship, but suddenly she seemed delicate and fragile. She was good at hiding at it.

"Why would I want you to go?" He asked with a frown on his face. He approached her again, letting his fingers stroke her cheeks.

She leaned forward towards him, trying to kiss him again.

"Ana, Ana... come on. We can't... I'm not going to..."

"Why?"

Christian stepped away from her and moved to sit down on the couch in his foyer. He patted the spot between him and she took a deep breath before coming to sit with him. She looked disappointed and hurt. He hated it.

"I want you Ana. I do. You're... _so_ fucking sexy, and.. if it's your first time, I'd rather you make sure it's what you want. Especially with me."

"It is what I want."

"Ana..." He covered his face with his hands again, rubbing it and then letting go and standing. He turned to stare at her, her beautiful figure barely covered in that black dress. "I'm a fucked up person Ana.. I have a lot of demons, and.. what do you want out of this Ana?"

She took a deep breath. "I just want you Christian."

He stared at her for what seemed like hours. "Not tonight. We've both been drinking, and as much I want to bend you over this couch right now and fuck you senseless, that's not what you deserve for your first time."

Ana frowned, before nodding. "Okay."

"I'd you to spend the night with me though Ana."

"Can we still make out?"

He laughed, grabbing his shirt from the ground and walking to his bedroom. She followed.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter they will begin their fight against Carla, and more insight will be giving into Ana's backstory.**

 **Do you think Christian made the right decision?**


	9. Chapter 9: Gone

Carla stared at the television, a haze of cigarette smoke surrounding her and a glass of whiskey beside her. The place looked a mess after she had gone through each and every spot, searching for any remaining money she may have had.

She watched the picture on the television and scowled.

There stood _Anastasia_ , on the arm of that... _that man_.

 _'And it looks like the world may have been wrong about billionaire Christian Grey being gay, since he showed up with this hot little number just a few nights ago at his exclusive club Nightfall in Seattle.'_

"That little.. _whore."_ She watched her daughter standing in a brand new black backless dress, most likely looking for attention. She did a double take. Did they say _billionaire?_

Carla downed the drink, slamming it on the table beside her. That man ruined her life, and everything she had going for her.

She had only needed one more payout to pay off her debt to Mr. Jefferies, and then she would have been able to live her life, free of being followed and free of any worries.

It was times like this she missed Stephen. He could _handle_ situations like this, but she did what she needed to do. She couldn't lose out on the trust fund that _Ray_ had given her. The trust fund was her ticket to being free again, but now that it was gone...

Carla stood, wrapping her robe around her body. She knew it was only a matter of time.

 _Ray._ She scowled at the thought of him. She remembered thinking how lucky she was to have someone like him to take her child, and they hadn't exactly done it the correct way, for which she had then been grateful.

She thought back to the day that her and Stephen went to pick her up.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"Who the fuck lives in a place like this?" Stephen said as they drove into the gated community._

 _They glanced around at the large houses, making their small two bedroom seem insignificant._

 _"When does the payout begin?" He then asked, glancing at their lawyer in the backseat momentarily and then pulling into the driveway of the address he was given._

 _"Once she's in your possession for a month. I've spoken with Ray's lawyer, the bank account has been set up." The balding man said, dabbing at his face._

 _"Does she need to sign anything?"_

 _"Of course not, she's a minor."_

 _Carla stepped from the car with the large man, leaving Stephen there, not wanting to set off any red flags._

 _They rang the doorbell, and two very well put together people stood there with a less than welcoming look on their face._

 _The little girl ran down the stairs and Carla gasped._

 _"Oh my... Anastasia! Look how you've grown..." She said._

 _Carla hadn't seen Anastasia since she was a baby, and even then, she couldn't feel the pull of motherhood. She still didn't, but she put on like she did._

 _She watched as Anastasia said her farewells and stepped out with them, an ugly stuffed elephant in her hands. They entered the car, and the girl continued to cry, looking back at the house as they drove away._

 _"Okay... first rule. Stop fucking crying." Stephen said to her from the front. Carla wanted to suddenly talk back to him, and tell him to let her cry. They did just take her from her family. But she knew not to say anything, so she looked at the window and the passing cars._

 _The little girl immediately stopped and frowned at him. "You shouldn't swear." She squeaked._

 _"Oh Anastasia, I have a feeling you and I aren't going to get along very well." Stephen said, and his tone made Carla shudder._

 _ **Flashback Over**_

A knock to the door startled Carla, and she peaked out of the blinds to see flashing blue and red lights.

"Shit.." She murmured and she slowly backed away from the door.

The knock became louder.

 _"Ms. Wilkes, we know you're in there.. open up._ "

She finally took a deep breath and opened the door, smiling sweetly.

"Can I help you officers?"

"Yes actually. You're under arrest for fraud and embezzlement, as well as the attempted murder of Stephen Morton." The officer said as he grabbed her by the shoulder to turn her and begin to cuff her hands.

"WHAT?!" She cried out, "I would never-"

"You have the right to remain silent," The man began. "Anything you say may be used against you in the court of law..."

Carla took one last glance at the television, scowling at the paused picture and vowing her own personal revenge.

* * *

"Ana, tell me about the last time you spoke with Stephen Morton," John Flynn said, one leg crossed over the other with a notepad sitting on his laptop.

The dark wood of his office and the pale lighting made it both welcoming and calming. She hadn't been sure when Christian first suggested she speak with him, especially since he was _his_ therapist, but she quickly became used to the idea.

Ana sat on the dark brown sofa, this time with Christian who had offered his company and a hand to hold. This would be the third time she'd spoken with the good Doctor in the past two weeks. _And oh what a two weeks it had been._

Her interview was in four days time, with a friend that Christian kept referring to as _Roach._ She had also moved in with Kate, staying with her for only a few nights of the week before she found herself back with Christian the other nights.

"It was six months after he tried to kill me." Ana began, and she felt Christian squeeze her hand reassuringly. "I had left with Carla.."

"And why did you leave with her?"

"I had no money. It was already foolish for me to try to be on my own, but I also felt like I owed her a debt." She paused taking a deep breath.

"Go on."

"Anyways, we were staying in Atlanta, in a small crappy apartment and I was attending some classes. I was leaving campus and he accosted me outside of the English hall. I almost didn't even recognize him at first.. but then it came back to me, and I just.."

She took a deep and shuddering breath, thinking back.

 _ **FLASHBACK: TRIGGER WARNING**_

 _"Great job on your paper Ana." Her professor said as she left the classroom. She smiled at him, holding her schoolbooks to her chest as she stepped out of the room._

 _The Atlanta air was warm, but it felt good after the two hours in that freezing room. She missed the cool Seattle breeze, even after all of these years._

 _She vaguely thought back to her family there. She had written to them, multiple times and so far hadn't received anything back. She hadn't been able to find their numbers, except for a listing of Carrick's law firm, using the schools internet. Even then, she had called and found herself speaking to a receptionist unsure of what to say._

 _Ana didn't quite understand the pull that kept her there, but she knew that they had been safe from Stephen Morton for six months thanks to Carla._

 _She walked towards the bus stop, glancing quickly at her wrist watch and looking around. It was dark, something she wished she could avoid, particularly because it didn't feel safe. It was enough that she was receiving aid to attend school, but she hadn't found a job, and Carla didn't make enough to get her a car._

 _"Well, well, well... look who it is." She heard him before she saw him, and she immediately felt on edge._

 _After the man came into view, she squinted her eyes to see him better before they widened._

 _"No!" She yelled and immediately turned and began running, but he was too quick for her. He grabbed her by the back of her sweater, her legs buckling and she fell to the concrete with a thud._

 _"HEL-" She began to scream before his rough and calloused hand was over her mouth._

 _"Did you both REALLY think you could just FUCKING LEAVE ME THERE?!" He screamed at her, standing in a crouch and grabbing her by the hood of her sweater, his mouth still on her face. He dragged her into the alleyway and she kicked, doing all she could to get away from him._

 _But she couldn't._

 _ **FLASHBACK OVER**_

"What happened then Ana?" Flynn asked, looking up from the notepad he continued to scribble on.

"He grabbed at me... in certain places, I think just to scare me. He hit me, kicked at me... but then he left. I didn't quite understand why at the time."

"Do you understand now?"

"He couldn't kill me, because then Carla wouldn't get my money. I realize now that maybe Carla and Stephen never stopped talking." Ana said after taking a deep breath. It had been a hard realization to come to, but once she realized that Carla didn't actually care for her in anyway, she knew.

"I don't understand why didn't leave." Christian blurted out, looking to Ana with a furrowed brow. He looked, angry... but she wasn't sure it was at her.

"Christian, you have to understand," Flynn began. "that people in Ana's situation can feel something called 'capture-bonding'. This essentially means that Ana bonded with Carla over their ordeal with Stephen, since Carla had made Ana believe she was just as afraid as she was. There are cases of people feeling this when in a hostage situation, which Ana was. The only difference is that the only weapon used against Ana was fear. And because it was her mother, it made it much easier to feel a bond, especially after her father had passed."

Ana thought for a moment. _Was that what it was?_ She hadn't exactly understood what kept her with Carla, except for something she couldn't explain. There were times when they had laughed together, and cried together. Carla had sat her down and apologized for not escaping with Ana sooner, and for letting Stephen abuse her for all of those years.

She had believed her.

* * *

"So are you enjoying living with Kate? I haven't really asked you that." Christian asked as Ana unlocked the apartment door.

They stepped inside the two bedroom apartment, Ana taking her off her shoes in the process.

It was very spacious and modern, other than the back wall which looked to be the original brick the building had been made with. Her room itself was large, but nothing compared to Christians. In fact, she was sure the apartment could fit inside of Christians and still have access to the majority of his.

"It's nice. I really do like her, it's just a little awkward when Elliot's here." She grimaced and he followed suit.

They stepped into her bedroom and she turned and shut the door behind him. The room was plain, other than the bed and the dresser with vanity. She was thankful the apartment was already furnished, although she would have gladly purchased furniture with the money Carrick had given her. Now though, she was able to save it.

"Are you okay?" Christian asked, his voice still dripping with contempt as he remembered her words.

Ana sat onto the bed, looking to her feet. "It's hard to talk about it Christian. I feel ashamed of myself, I feel.. pissed off."

Christian stared at her, a strange look in his eyes. He finally took a seat with her on the bed and placing his elbows on his thighs, his face in his hands for a moment.

"Are _you_ okay?" She asked him, unsure of why he was being so mercurial.

* * *

Hearing that Stephen Morton had _touched_ her in a way that was anything but appropriate made him want to hit something. It reminded him of being younger, and being out of control. He _needed_ control and he suddenly felt the urge to spend a session in his playroom.

But then she touched him, a small touch on his forearm, and he felt calmed. He took a deep breath, turning his head to look at her.

 _So beautiful._

The night she had spent with him had been something he had never experienced. They had laid in bed, their hands on one another as they did nothing more than kiss. He remembered it feeling more fulfilling than anything he had ever felt with a submissive, or with Elena. But he also had felt conflicted.

She didn't know his background with Elena, nor did she know about his lifestyle choices. She didn't know about the darkness inside of him, or the fact that he could never give her anything... _more._

He remembered the day after, calling Flynn and being chastised on the phone.

 _'It's time you stop seeing yourself in that light Christian,' His British voice chided, 'if you want to be the man she deserves, then just be it!'_

He had since been doing his best to work through his issues, for her.

"Ana, I just.. I'm never going to let you be in harms way again." He said, finally finding the right words to say.

Her eyes softened, "I know."

* * *

"That was delicious", Ana said with a soft groan, making Christian clench his jaw.

The family sat in the Grey's dining room, their plates almost empty. Both Grace and Carrick had cooked, grilled brown sugar glazed Salmon with a side of bacon braised string beans and potatoes.

Christian was on his second glass of wine, as was most of the family and Gretchen stepped around the table inquiring who had wanted more. As usual, he ignored her stares and at this point, only had eyes for the brunette next to him.

He could see his parents staring at him, curious as to his constant glances to the side, but frankly he wasn't sure if Ana wanted to divulge the nature of their relationship just yet.

"So Ana dear, have you picked up a dress for Coping Together yet?" Grace asked after dabbing her mouth.

"Oh, yes. Mia and I found one that I think is perfect. I'm very excited to attend." Ana replied.

Christian generally hated attending events with his family, only because he was unable to 'bond' with them at most times. He felt uncomfortable, especially from the stares of people who had just wanted him to give them some attention. This year, however, he couldn't wait...

"Do you have a date?" Mia piped up, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she stared at both Christian and Ana.

"Oh, don't be silly Mia, Ana's just finally getting settled." Grace said waving her hand at her daughter.

He cleared his throat, "Ana will actually be attending this year with me Mother."

The room silenced for a moment, Carrick actually dropping his fork. At first Christian assumed he would be displeased by this news until he saw the small smile on his fathers face.

Finally Kate spoke, clearing the tension in the room. _"So_ Mia, do _you_ have a date?"

* * *

"That was awkward at dinner." Ana said, her knees curled up to her chest as she sat in the cushioned lawn chair in front of the bonfire.

Elliot, Kate and Christian all sat with her enjoying a glass of brandy, or one final glass of wine.

"It was only awkward because Christian never actually wants to _go_ to an event that our parents have, especially not with a date." Elliot said, swishing the liquid in his glass. His hand held onto Kate's who stared lovingly at him.

Ana felt a pang of jealousy for a moment and looked to Christian who stared in the crackling and flickering flames.

His phone pinged and he lifted it immediately it, his eyes lighting up. "Excuse me for a moment," He said standing and walking quickly inside.

"So... have you guys... _you know?"_ Kate asked and Elliot grimaced at the thought.

"No Kate." Ana replied with an exasperated sigh. _Although she really wanted to._

Elliot chimed in. "It's probably for the best Ana. I don't think my brothers ever even had sex."

 _Was that what it was? No. It couldn't be,_ She thought remembering the experienced way he kissed her and touched her. Not to mention, a man like that didn't stay a virgin for long.

The moment Christian walked back outside, Elliot shouted, "Are you still a virgin dude?"

Christian stopped in his tracks, looking between them before rolling his eyes and ignoring his brother. While Elliot said under his breath to Kate, ' _told you_.', Christian kneeled in front of Ana, much to her confusion. He grabbed her by the face, running his thumbs along her cheeks.

"They've arrested her Ana."

"What?"

"They've arrested Carla. On grounds of fraud, embezzlement and attempted murder." He paused, staring at her. "Ana? Are you okay?"

* * *

She was sure what she experienced was a panic attack, but she had no idea _why_ she had experienced it.

She sat in Christians old bedroom, squeezing the bedspread while she closed her eyes tight and thought.

 _Carla was arrested. There was no more Stephen._

 _Carla was arrested._

Ana didn't care about the money. She cared only for the justice that she wanted to receive from being tricked for so many years, but frankly, the thought of having to face her again in court was less than appealing.

There was a soft knock to the door and Christian poked in head in. "Ana, I just wanted to check on you. I apologize, I didn't realize-"

"It's okay." She said softly. "I guess I just didn't expect that this would all happen so quickly."

"I told you I wouldn't let anyone harm you again. I meant physically, mentally, emotionally.. I've had my team do a lot of digging, and it was enough to get her arrested." He sat beside her, looking gorgeous in his jeans and button up.

"You.. you did this? You're the reason she's been arrested?" She looked to him, disbelief in her voice.

"Yes Ana."

"Why?" When he didn't answer, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Why Christian? I've been here for weeks and you've still had yet to tell me why to any of this? Why did you search for me for so many years? Why did you have her arrested?"

He seemed confused, his expression also torn. "Did you not want her arrested?"

"Of course I did! But I just want to know why you're doing all of this for me?"

"Because you deserve the world Ana, and this family wasn't the same without you. And now that you're back, I.." He almost growled the remainder of his answer, "I told you I'm never going to let anyone hurt you again."

* * *

 **A/N: Slightly shorter chapter to go over some things that happened while Ana was gone.**

 **Do you think Christian was completely honest in his answer why he saved her? Heres a hint: There's a little more to it.**

 **Next will be the Coping Together event, Ana's meeting with Roach, and an interesting encounter with one of Christian's old submissive's.**


	10. Chapter 10: For A Moment

_**Three Years Prior**_

 _"Christian," Dr. Flynn began in his British accent, "We've been talking for over a year now. What are you looking to gain from these conversations if you're not going to follow my advice?"_

 _Christian frowned in defeat, walking back and forth in the office with his arms crossed over his chest. "I know John. But I..._ fuck _, I can't tell them."_

 _"Perhaps not now. But you will need to come to terms with what happened Christian, and understand that it was wrong."_

 _"But she helped me John-"_

 _"Christian, she damaged you. And she would have continued damaging you if not for the fact that we've had these sessions. She molested you Christian, and until you see that and understand that you were a victim, then these sessions are moot." His voice was firm._

 _Victim. Christian scoffed at the word. He was one of the most powerful men in Seattle, not a victim._

 _A nagging voice in his head told him he was wrong._

 _"If it's not wrong Christian," Flynn said, "then why are you hiding it from your family?"_

 _"You know damn well why!" But Christian knew the argument was lost, and Flynn could tell._

 _"Say it aloud Christian."_

 _"Because I was having a sexual relationship with my mothers best friend."_

 _Flynn waited._

 _"And it was wrong.."_

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

Even now, three years later, he felt the guilt nagging at him each time he saw his mother. Would she ever forgive him if he told her the truth? _Probably not._ He had carried on a sexual relationship with her best friend for years. She had introduced him to a world that he had loved, but it was a world of dominance and submission. She hadn't helped him to ever love, but taught him to be feared.

He fixed his tuxedo bow tie before staring at himself in the mirror. He wasn't blind, he knew he looked good and he knew he could make the tux look damn good. It was one of the reasons he hated attending these things.

The attention of women wasn't something he ever longed for, mainly because they couldn't understand his boundaries and always attempted to touch him here or there. Still, the only woman who had ever touched his chest was Ana.

 _Ana._

He grinned at the thought of her, and it was in one of those moments that he wished he was normal and could carry on a normal relationship with her.

When he had found her in Florida, falling for her hadn't ever been his intention... but now he could see that it was a likely outcome. He had just hoped that by bringing her home, somehow his mother would one day forgive him for his past discretion's. It had been a selfish decision to begin with, but truth be told, he also wanted his family back together.

He stepped into the elevator, riding it down until he reached the black Audi SUV that sat waiting with Taylor and another gentleman, Luke Sawyer in the front.

Upon getting into the car, he looked out towards the window with his mask in hand, only thinking of Ana.

* * *

"This is going to be so much fun having you here. I mean, honestly it was fun the past year too, but it's mostly just people Grace and Carrick's age, and then some of Mia's friends. Which, by the way... wait until you meet Lily, she's awful. And she's always looking at Christian like she wants to eat him." Kate droned on as she finished up applying her lipstick. She smacked her lips together before tousling up her hair and looking to Ana who stared at herself in the full length mirror.

The beaded silver silk dress hugged her in the right places, but was loose where it should have been. Her brown hair was done up in an elegant twist, and her makeup was done with a smoky eye and no lipstick.

Ana continued to stare at herself, examining every feature. She remembered wearing loose clothes for years, clothes that had been found in a thrift store. She remembered having long and knotted hair as a child, because no one had the time to bring her to cut it. Now here she was, in a highly expensive dress, with her hair and makeup professionally done.

She felt like she was living in an alternate universe and also momentarily felt guilty.

"You look like a babe Ana." Kate said, also looking like a 'babe' herself in a floor length strapless red gown.

"It is a masquerade, but Christian said he has your mask. He should be here any moment with Elliot." She continued as she slipped on her red, glittery shoes.

Ana slipped her own silver strapped heels on, before taking a deep breath. She wondered why she felt nervous.

A knock came to the door, and upon opening up were two gorgeous men in tuxedos.

"Wow." Christian immediately said, his mother dropping slightly at the sight of her. She felt her cheeks redden.

"Wow yourself." She said lightly, her eyes trailing over his figure. _He looked so good._

"You look absolutely stunning." Christian leaned forward, and to her surprise, kissed her cheek. She felt disappointed but quickly masked it with a smile.

"It's not too much?" She asked, looking down at herself.

He lifted his hand, letting a finger stroke her lower lip. She leaned into his hand, her eyes closing. "It's perfect."

* * *

Although Ana had seen Carrick and Grace's house plenty of times (considering she lived there), she had no idea it could be transformed into something as amazing as what she was looking at.

Everyone was dressed in gowns and tuxedo's, each person wearing an ornate to plain masquerade mask. Her own was an ornate silver one that only covered her eyes, while Christians wore a plain black one. It looked entirely too good on him.

A large tent was set up, as well as a dance floor. Multiple round tables with extravagant floral centerpieces surrounded them, and a big band was set up ready to play on a stage.

"This is amazing," Ana breathed as a Christian offered his arm to her which she graciously accepted.

"Grace works very hard for this, so I'm sure she'll appreciate your enthusiasm," He replied as he led her to mingle. "There are many people I know here who may want to talk business, so if you wouldn't mind joining me, that would be amazing."

She blushed, biting her lower lip. _He wanted her to meet business contacts?_

The first was a larger man wearing a Phantom of the Opera-esque mask.

"Anastasia, this is Jerry Roach. The man you'll be interviewing with in a few days. Jerry, this is Anastasia Steele."

Ana suddenly felt nervous, and made a point not to drink too much, in case he happened to see her and not wish to offer her the job. "Very nice to meet you Mr. Roach."

The man chortled, "Call me Jerry. Or Roach. What a pleasure to finally meet you, I look forward to talking about books with you."

His smile made her hopeful.

The next man was a younger one, a good looking Doctor by the name of Seltz. Dr. Seltz. Christian hadn't actually brought her over to meet him, but the man had suddenly made his presence known.

"Anastasia," She wondered why he wasn't calling her Ana. "This is Dr. Seltz, he works with my mother in pediatrics."

"Oh, hello." Ana extended her hand and was shocked to find that he lifted it to his lips, kissing it lightly.

She could feel Christian stiffen next to her.

"Lovely to meet you Anastasia. What a beautiful name."

She cleared her throat, pulling her hand away. "Oh, thank you.."

Christian hooked his arm in hers and without saying another word quickly walked away with her. She was almost unable to ask where they were going, and suddenly she found herself in a dark corner of their yard, unable to see anyone else.

He had her pinned against the wall, an arm on either side of her head, and she gasped as his lips crashed against hers, kissing with her such a feverish passion that she almost fell due to weak knees.

He gave her a final kiss, breathing heavily.

"What the hell was that?!" She gasped, although she couldn't say she didn't enjoy it. That feeling of warmth deep in her belly was back.

He leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closing. "I'm sorry Ana... I just... he kissed your hand, and I can just get very jealous sometimes, and I just needed to remind you who you're here with."

"I didn't need a reminder Christian.." _But she'd certainly take it._

He suddenly stepped from her, tugging slightly at his hair. "I'm sorry Anastasia.. that was very.. animalistic of me."

"I enjoyed it." She bit on her lower lip and he leaned towards her, tugging it away with his own teeth before he stepped away leaving her wanting more.

* * *

Christian watched as Ana sipped on the glass of wine, and he took a breath to steady himself. He couldn't help but kiss her that way after that fucker kissed her hand.

 _She's not technically yours,_ he reminded himself before also reminding himself that she wanted to be. Plus, she _was_ there as his date.

He watched as she spoke animatedly with his grandparents, who were ecstatic to see her there, especially with him. He had forgotten how many people had loved her.

The food had been amazing, and the entire time he couldn't help but watch the way her lips wrapped around the silverware, and how her eyes fluttered closed when it was something she enjoyed. Occasionally she'd catch him staring at her and she'd blush. It made him grin.

"Alright ladies and gentleman," The emcee said, "I'd like to invite all of our ladies to the stage that will be participating in our First Dance Auction. Gentlemen, this is your chance to spend a dance with some our finest ladies that have chosen to join us today."

Both Mia and Kate stood, and Ana smiled at them before she was being tugged away to join them. Christian immediately scowled, the thought of other men vying for her attention abhorrent to him.

* * *

"Alright, do we have them all? Fantastic!" An upbeat song began playing from the band, and the women found themselves one by one being thrust in front of the audience, a slew of outstanding lies being made about them. Kate was first.

"Gentlemen, this is our lovely Kate. Kate is a second grade school teacher who'd like to have a little excitement in her life." Kate, trying to not succumb to a fit of giggles grinned at the men. "She's also fully practiced in the art of yoga, and enjoys skydiving."

The men's hands began to raise, and Ana gasped as the amount went higher and higher, Elliot finally winning with a $3,000 bid.

Three more girls went, each going for similar or lesser amounts until it was Ana's turn.

"This lovely young lady is a professional piano player," _what?_ "who donates her time to saving wounded animals, and is an experienced gymnast." Ana snorted, rolling her eyes at the exuberant man.

"Five thousand dollars." She heard Christian said, and she frowned.

"Six thousand." Another man said, and Ana immediately looked to see Dr. Seltz, his arms crossed over his chest with a grin on his face.

Christian looked less than amused.

"Eight thousand dollars."

"Nine thousand."

She watched as Christian eyed her before looking back to the other man. "Fifty thousand dollars."

"What?!" Ana said aloud, much to everyone/s laughter. She blushed as the man raised his hands in defeat.

"And _sold,_ for fifty thousand dollars."

* * *

"Fifty thousand dollars Christian?!" Ana squealed as she reached Christian, his arms immediately wrapping around her waist. _Mixed signals again._

"It's worth it." He said lightly, and she couldn't help but let her anger ebb away.

"I believe you owe me this dance." He held out a hand as the music began to play, all of the other 'purchased' couples on the dance floor. She grabbed it, and a slowly melody flowed, the singers voice soft and soothing.

He held her hand out, the other resting lightly on her hip as he guided her along the dance floor, never looking away from her brilliant blue eyes.

 _When you say you love me, the world goes still, so still inside._

 _When you say you love me, for a moment there's no one else alive._

"This really was too much for you to spend. It's just a dance."

"Ana, I'm a billionaire... I assure you, it wasn't, and I assure you, this isn't just a dance."

"Whatever happened to that shy, yet overly moody teenager?"

He frowned for a moment, before shrugging. "I grew up."

"I think there's more to it than that."

"There is." He said as he spun her, before she came back into his arms.

As the song ended, Christian smiled at her. "Thank you for my dance."

His tone made butterflies flutter inside of her stomach.

"You're welcome. I'm going to go use the powder room real quick."

She quickly walked away trying to calm the urge she was having for him.

* * *

"Fifty thousand dollars Ana?! Wow!" Mia and Kate both exclaimed as they fixed their makeup in the powder room.

"I know, it was just too much." She said shaking her head, but they both rolled their eyes.

"Ana, honestly... for him? No. It's not." Kate said.

"She's right Ana. Fifty thousand is literally nothing to him." Mia agreed.

"Still.." Ana took the moment to look at herself in the mirror again, noticing that her cheeks were flushed. She fanned at herself, watching as Mia left the bathroom.

Kate lowered her voice, "So do you think tonight might be the night you.. you know."

Ana blushed even more, "Kate.. no." She had divulged in her new friend the events of the night from the club. It had been nice to have 'girl talk'.

"I'm just saying, the way he looks at you..." Kate fanned herself, "just saying. I'll see you out there."

She stepped from the room and Ana leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath.

The door opened suddenly, a young brunette in a black gown stepping inside, her mouth dropping the moment she saw Anastasia.

"Um, hello." Ana said politely, but the woman continued to stare until she shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

"You're here with Mr. Grey." The woman stated, and Ana suddenly felt uncomfortable. _Who was she?_

"Yes, my name is Ana." She reached out her hand to shake the woman's, but there was no reciprocation. She awkwardly pulled her hand back.

"He seems happy with you."

 _Does he?_ "I'm sorry.. what was your name? How do you know Christian?"

The girl gasped. "He lets you call him by his name?"

"Um.. okay, this is getting weird. I'm... going to be going now." Ana slowly slipped from the bathroom, watching as the woman continued staring at her until the door shut.

 _What a weird woman._

* * *

The big band was now playing music that sounded like Top 40's, except with a 'big band' flair. Ana found Christian speaking in hushed and hurried tones to both Taylor and the other man, Luke Sawyer. They nodded toward her and he immediately turned, looking relieved.

"Christian... is everything okay?" She asked lightly, sensing the tension.

"Yes Anastasia. Everything is fine. Are you okay?" He asked in return.

"I had a very interesting encounter in the powder room. Some strange woman was asking if I was here with you... she was confused that you let me call you by your name?"

In a fleeting moment, his face drained of color and his jaw clenched. He cleared his throat, turning to say something to Taylor and Sawyer and then turned back to her, leading her into the house.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" She asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Just a person from my past Ana... I don't... _really_ want to talk about it. Not yet anyway."

She gave a small nod, dropping it for the moment. "You don't want to dance anymore?" She asked.

"Not particularly." He began to climb the stairs and she followed him until they stopped at his door.

He opened it, stepping inside and sitting on his bed.

She followed suit.

"What are we doing up here Christian? Your family is downstairs."

"This is..." He swallowed, " _hard_ for me Ana."

She bit her lip before speaking, "What is?"

"Whatever this is." He motioned between the two of them, before lifting a hand to tug at his hair. "My past relationships weren't... like this. They were a little less like relationships and more like..." He paused, searching for the word.

"Sex." Ana finished for him, "They were just sexual relationships."

He glanced at her, looking ashamed.

"And I've never even had sex." She continued.

He cleared his throat, running his fingers through his hair again. "It's not something I'm proud of Ana."

"Whens the last... _relationship_ you had?"

"Very long ago."

She nodded, looking down at her fingers before blurting, "Elliot thinks your a virgin.", to which Christian just chuckled.

"Do you still... want... whatever this is?" He then asked, looking at his own hands. Suddenly he sounded like that lost little shy boy.

"I do."

* * *

"Thank you for such a wonderful time Grace. This is an amazing event that you've put on." Ana said, her arms around Grace in a hug.

She had looked fantastic in her mint green dress that hung just off the shoulder.

"Oh thank you dear. I'm so happy that you and Christian... well, I'm so happy that you're happy." She replied, kissing her on the cheek.

Ana blushed, and looked over to see Christian staring at her, his eyes dark and _sexy._ She climbed into the SUV, reaching back to untie her mask. She stared at it, her fingers running over the ornate silver material.

She looked to see him take his off as well.

"So where are we going?" She asked nervously all of a sudden.

"Would you like to go back home? Or would you like to come to my place?" His tone was dripping with promise if they returned to his place.

She breathed the words, "Yours please."

He lifted her hand and kissed it lightly. "Wonderful."

* * *

"Would you like a drink Ana?" Christian asked as they stepped from the elevator. He immediately made to walk into the kitchen, looking back at her.

"Oh, yes please." Her heels clicked against the marbled floors as she walked towards one of the paintings that hung on his wall. The abstract was beautiful, but she wished there was more color in his place to make it warmer. He walked back to her holding two glasses of a white wine.

"To you Ana." He held his own up and they clinked, before taking a sip. He cleared his throat, asking lightly. "What would you like to do?"

She stared at him, at the copper hair on his head.. at his light grey eyes.. at his absolutely gorgeous body, and she said nervously, "I want you to make love to me Christian."

"I thought we were going to wait." He downed the rest of his wine quickly, setting the glass on a side table. His eyes were dark with lust.

"Christian... I don't.. _want_ to wait. I may not be as experienced as you, but I know what I want and it's you. I can't explain these past few weeks, but.." She stared at him, suddenly cut off by him grabbing her hand and guiding her into his bedroom where a bouquet of red roses sat on his mantel.

"For you." He said lightly, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't know how tonight would end."

She said nothing as he stepped closer to her, grabbing her by her face and slowly pressing his lips to hers. She sighed into his mouth, her hands resting on his muscular arms.

"Are you sure?" He asked, breathless.

"Yes."

* * *

 ** _Mature Warning_**

Christian leaned his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent before he moved behind her. His lips fell on her shoulders, kissing lightly as his fingertips dragged down her arms. She shivered against him and it made him smile.

His hands found the zipper on the back of her dress and he slowly unzipped it, before letting it fall to her feet. He gasped at the sight of her, but he needed to see more.

"Go lay on the bed." He said, his voice slightly commanding.

He could tell she was nervous in her movements, but she did as she was told, slipping off her silver stilettos as she went.

He had previously seen her in her bra and panties when they had swam in the ocean, but this... he groaned at the sight of her.

The lacy strapless bra and matching thong was almost too much for him to handle. He could see her panting with want as he began undoing his bow tie, throwing it and his jacket to the floor. His next piece of clothing to be removed was his shirt, followed by his pants, shoes and socks.

He left his boxer briefs on for the moment, not wanting to overwhelm her.

"So beautiful.." He murmured as he crawled over her, leaning down to nuzzle her breasts, kissing the flesh that popped out from the top of the bra. She leaned up on her elbows and he immediately reached back, undoing it. "So fucking beautiful Ana."

Her head fell back as he took one of her nipples into his mouth, his tongue running in circles over the pebbled flesh before he lightly nipped.

" _Ah!"_ She cried and he grinned against her, his hand grabbing onto her other breast, massaging it. " _Oh.._ Christian." She breathed his name, and it was enough for him to continue moving down.

He peppered kisses on her stomach, leaving a trail down to the lace that covered her sex.

She squirmed in the bed, waiting for the next move. Hooking his fingers onto each band, he tugged down the material to reveal her smooth mound, her panties glistening from her desire.

"Christian.. please..." She let out a cry the moment his thumb pressed down against her clitoris. He knew she was ready for him.

He moved away, standing to remove his boxer briefs, her eyes immediately widening at the sight of him.

* * *

She couldn't take much more. The ache deep in her belly was getting stronger and stronger, and she almost felt it ebb away when he touched her, until he moved and removed the last article of clothing he had.

Her eyes widened. "Um.." She murmured, and he grinned at her.

"You'll adjust baby... trust me." His large erection was intimidating, but she couldn't take her eyes from it as he walked to his side table, grabbing a foil packet and returning back to her.

 _This is it,_ she thought. _I'm finally going to have sex... and with Christian Grey._ She couldn't help but think that this wasn't what she imagined would happen when she saw him in Florida again, but their attraction was undeniable.

He crawled back atop of her after ripping the packet and rolling the latex onto him.

"Do you still want this?" He asked, his voice dripping with lust and want.

"Y-Yes." She stuttered. At his eyebrow raised she cleared her throat and said more clearly, "Yes."

He kissed her again, his tongue rubbing against hers as he spread her legs, settling himself between them. His hand reached in between them, and she suddenly felt nervous, the anticipation of what would come next overwhelming her.

He began pushing inside of her, the walls of her sex spasming against him.

She whimpered into his mouth, and the moment he thrust hard, breaking the barrier that kept her a virgin, she cried out into his mouth. He kissed her deeper, stilling himself as she adjusted.

"Are you okay?" He asked, breaking their kiss.

"Yes... _please._ "

Christian began to move, his hips rocking back and forth. The feeling was indescribable, and her head fell back as he continued.

"Baby you're so fucking wet... and _tight.._ " He groaned, his head falling onto the crook of her neck where he nipped at her skin.

" _Ah.._ " She cried out again, that ache becoming more and more profound. She could feel something happening, her body reacting to his movements. Each thrust she felt closer, and closer to getting rid of that throb.

"Baby, come for me.." He commanded, his thrusts becoming quicker and harder. " _Fuck.._ " He groaned again and the sound of it was enough to set her off.

" _Christian!"_

She felt like she was shattering into a million pieces as wave after wave of pleasure hit her. She felt herself tighten around him, and she grasped onto the sheets, pulling them with her as her back arched into him. _She wanted more._

"Ana... _fuck,_ i'm gonna come." His thrusts were becoming harder, his groin hitting hers with force each time. He sat up, lifting both of her legs and hooking each knee in the crook of his elbow as he began to move faster, his head leaning back.

 _He looked so sexy._

Their cries of pleasure intermingled in the room until his finally overtook hers and with one final thrust he stilled, spilling himself into the condom.

* * *

He slowly removed himself, and she shivered at the feeling.

Christian lay her legs back down and after disposing of the condom and cleaning himself up, he walked back towards her to see her chest rising and falling quickly.

He lay next to her, kissing her lightly on the lips before raising his eyebrows at her.

"That was... wow. I'm not a virgin anymore." She giggled slightly and he grinned.

"No, you most definitely are not."

He pulled the blanket onto them and she turned, scooting her behind into him where they fit perfectly.

"So what did you think?" He asked, considering it was his first 'vanilla' experience.

"I think I want to do it again.." She said with a voice that made him immediately flip her over and attack her lips with his own.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there you have it.**

 **More information next chapter on the weird girl from the bathroom, as well as Carla's upcoming court date and a visit from Elena Lincoln.**


	11. Chapter 11: Too Soon

The annoying sound of beeping woke her up, and it wasn't until she finally blinked away the sleep that she realized it was an alarm. Ana felt the bed suddenly lighten and watched as the gorgeous figure of Christian, completely nude, walked to the alarm, shutting it off.

He stretched, his back turned towards her and she bit on her lip, watching his muscles flex.

She sat up suddenly. _I had sex last night,_ she thought, _with him!_ She was suddenly nervous. What happened the morning after? This was all so new to her!

"I can smell breakfast." He said lightly as he pulled on a pair of basketball shorts.

He grinned at her as her eyes trailed over him.

Ana held the blanket up to her chest, biting her lip as she stared at him. In a moment he was atop of her and he leaned down to grab her lip with his teeth before speaking.

"If you keep doing that, we'll never get out of bed."

Her eyes widened and she suddenly had the urge to bite her lip throughout the day.

* * *

"Carla Wilkes. Do you know why you're here?" The detective sat at the metal table, staring at the auburn haired woman across from her.

She scowled at him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"No idea." She spit and he laughed lightly to himself.

"Okay so this is how we're doing it. Well, Mrs. Wilkes-"

"Ms. It's Ms."

"Ahem, _Ms_ Wilkes. Did you not realize it was a crime to commit fraud and forgery with your daughters information to receive money that was entrusted to her? Do you know that you are also being investigated for the attempted murder of your husband, Stephen Morton?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Carla leaned back in her chair, glancing around the room.

"Interesting." The man glanced down at the paperwork before opening his mouth to speak again.

Carla interrupted, "I'd like to speak to a lawyer please."

The man shook his head, standing up and grabbing onto his folders. "That's fine. One will be provided for you. But I hope you understand, you'll be going to trial, and then you'll rot in prison _Ms._ Wilkes - I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Ana stepped into the lobby of Seattle Independent Publishing. It was a quaint publishing house, not like many of the other larger ones. However, this one seemed to produce the type of books she'd be interested in, and on top of that, it was a way to get her foot in the door.

Her attire she had chosen was a black pencil skirt with a grey blouse, and a pair of black pumps that Kate had lent her. She hoped it was appropriate enough for an interview. Her brown hair lay over her shoulder in waves, and her makeup was done lightly, thanks to Kate as well.

"I'm here to speak with Mr. Roach." Ana said to the receptionist who gave her a warm smile and instructed her to take a seat. She fidgeted, her foot tapping the floor until her name was called.

She was led to a large office that surprisingly was extremely messy. Manuscripts lay all over the desk, and the books lay askew.

She sat in the chair, waiting until Roach walked in with a booming, "Ana! So nice to see you again!" He shook her hand, sitting at his desk. "Did you enjoy the event? I have to say.. that Christian sure did look smitten with you."

She let out a small nervous laugh, "Yes, I had a wonderful time. I hope you did as well."

"I did, I did." He slapped his hands together, "Onto business. Why do you want to work in publishing Ana? Christian informs me you're not yet done with school, but education doesn't tell me anything. Passion does. So wow me."

"Okay.. well. Have you ever just found yourself in a situation that.. just stresses you out, and makes you wish that you could escape? But then you open up one of your favorite books and suddenly you find yourself immersed in a different world and it just sucks you in. And you know you always have that as a place to go. I want to have a part in making that happen Mr. Roach." She said with confidence. If it was one thing she loved, it was books.

"Wonderful." He said lightly, beginning to speak until the door suddenly opened, revealing a man with his hair pulled back and a stack of manuscripts in his hand.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you had someone in here." The man said, and Ana vaguely noticed that one earring hung from his ear.

"No worries Jack. This is Anastasia, she'll be our new Editorial Manuscript Coordinator. Anastasia, this is Jack Hyde"

Ana suddenly looked at Roach, "I'm sorry, what? I thought this was for an administrative assistant position."

"Well, it was. But I've got a good feeling about you, and I think that you'd be wasting your talents in that position."

She could see out of the corner of her eye, this _Jack_ gentleman staring at her. It made her uncomfortable. "Well, thank you then. I assure you I'll do it to the best of my ability."

Roach waved a hand at her. "I have no worries there. Now... let's make an appointment, you'll come and fill out your employee paperwork and then train with Jack." He motioned to the man.

Ana couldn't tell if the grin on his face was happy, or menacing.

* * *

Christian stared at his security team in front of him, two of which shifted uncomfortably under his stare. He sat, with one Armani covered leg crossed over the other, his fingertips pressed against each other.

"Taylor..." He began, his voice steady but hostile. "How in the _fuck_ did Leila Williams get into my mothers event?"

Taylor cleared and his throat and stepped forward, his hands behind his back.

"Sir, Ms. Williams attended as a guest of a gentleman named Alexander Monaghan. She wasn't on the guest list, because apparently she was a last minute guest." He said, watching as Christian stood and walked closer towards them.

 _Alexander, another dominant,_ he thought, laughing slightly out loud. "Has contact been made with her since? This must breach the fucking NDA at some point!"

"Sir, she didn't approach you, nor did she speak of anyone about you other than to Ana. We may be able to get her for that, but other than that... she was just a guest of another gentleman."

"How the FUCK would she even know to approach Ana?!" Christian stood, running his hands through his copper hair and tugging.

His team stayed quiet, and after taking a deep breath, he turned again. "All but Taylor and Sawyer, you're dismissed."

The two men stood, waiting for instructions.

"I need to make sure that this _never_ happens again. Sawyer, you'll be Ana's personal security from this point forward. I _never_ want to hear of something like that happening again."

"Sir." Sawyer confirmed.

"Taylor, I need to know where the others are... and I need to make sure they keep quiet."

"Yes sir."

The rang on Christians desk, and upon seeing Andrea's name clicked the speaker on. "Yes, Andrea?"

"Sir, Mrs. Lincoln is here. She's saying she needs to speak with you."

Christian grasped at his face, "Fuck... okay, give me a moment."

* * *

Elena walked in the room, and immediately Christian scowled at her. For too long he had put up with her antics, and for too long had she controlled him.

Her face looked new but too shiny, the result of Botox over the years. She sauntered in like she owned the place, her hips swinging back and forth.

"Christian, darling." She leaned into him, placing a kiss on his cheek before sitting in the chair in front of his desk with one leg crossed over the other.

He wondered how he had ever thought she was attractive.

"Good afternoon Elena. What are you doing here?" He asked, sitting down and leaning back in his chair. He wondered vaguely what Ana was doing.

"A few different reasons dear." She grabbed her overly large black purse, pulling out a folder. "First, I saw your dear friend Anastasia.. she looked well."

Christian raised an eyebrow at her. "She is well."

"Hmm. Well, I was so sad that I missed your mothers event. Business." She mumbled, opening the folder and placing a few sheets of paper on his desk.

It only took him a moment before he gasped at her audacity and pushed them to the side. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He stood, grabbing onto the desk. "Are you really here to show me pictures of potential submissive's?"

She frowned for a moment before changing her tactic. "Christian..." She purred, "I know this must be killing you, not having a woman at their knees for this entire time... and these women have _all_ been vetted, and each are perfect!"

"Elena, no. That's the final answer. I'm done with the lifestyle. No."

Elena scowled at him. "Fine.."

"Elena, did you know that Leila Williams would be attending the Coping Together event?"

Her eyes widened, and with every bit of drama she could muster she said, "What?! Of _course_ not dear!" She paused for a moment as he stared at her. "So how did your date with _Anastasia_ go?"

He laughed, shaking his head and walking with his arms crossed over his chest. Jealousy did not look good on her.

"It went great." He bragged, watching as her smile faltered.

She snapped her folder closed, standing. "Well, then. I have other things to attend to today." She pulled her purse over her shoulder and without so much as a good-bye walked out of his office.

* * *

"So you got the job?" Christian asked as Ana slid into the Spyder with him. Her hair was tied back, and as requested, she was dressed in light clothing.

"I got the job." She stated, her face lit up with excitement.

He hadn't been surprised. In fact, Roach had called him the moment she left to inform him that she would be their new Editorial Manuscript Coordinator, a job that was generally harder to get. Christian knew his pull had helped, but he also knew that Ana was a gifted young woman.

He found it hard to believe that she had actually only been back in his life for a month, and even harder to believe that he was _feeling_ something for her. It had felt like they had been together for so much longer. It made him both nervous and excited. He wondered if she felt the same way.

"That's great baby." He leaned forward just as she did and placed his lips against hers, inviting her into a passionate kiss.

Still, she blushed when it was over, biting her lower lip.

"Stop doing that..." He murmured, and grinned as he started up the car, pulling his baseball cap on and handing her another.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she pulled the cap onto her head, pulling her pony tail through the hole in the back.

He grabbed her hand, kissing it. "It's a surprise."

As he drove, he occasionally glanced at her to see her looking at him. Each time they'd both let out a small laugh and he'd rub his thumb on the back of her hand.

Eventually the car slowed and they found themselves driving into a park, trees surrounding them until it opened up into a beach. Ana raised her eyebrows to see that Taylor and the other gentleman Sawyer were standing there, waiting.

They stepped out of the car and walked towards them, before Christian clasped his hands together. "Ready?" He asked the men, who both nodded and led them onto the sand.

* * *

Ana smiled upon seeing the blanket laid out on the sand with a picnic basket. She gave a side glance to Christian who looked... _nervous._

"This is wonderful... thank you Christian, why'd you do this?" She asked, flopping down onto the comfortable material.

"Well, I wanted to talk." He said, sitting with her. Both Sawyer and Taylor stood off in the distance, and Ana looked around. The beach looked... empty.

"There's no one else here."

"No."

"How'd you do that?"

"I pulled some strings." Christian grinned at her, and it reminded her that yes, he was a billionaire, and yes, he could pretty much get away with anything.

"For someone who never had any type of relationship... you sure do seem to be a pro at it. Maybe a little much, but you're doing well." She nudged him and watched as he opened the basket, pulling out cut sandwiches, cheeses, and fruits. "I'm guessing Mrs. Jones?"

"Of course." He winked at her.

Ana watched him as he ate, staring at the way his jaw clenched when he chewed, and the small amount of stubble that sat there. She still couldn't believe that she had been intimate with him... _multiple times._ She couldn't believe that a man like him, could want someone as broken as her.

As she had predicted, the reality of what had happened to hit her had hit her like a brick. She had been sitting in the apartment with Kate watching a movie when something triggered inside of her and next thing she knew, she was on the floor in a ball having a panic attack. Aside from the embarrassment, she had felt an onslaught of emotions that ranged from depressed to angry. Immediately Kate had called Christian, who had showed up and the next morning she was seeing Dr. Flynn again.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"Ana, tell me what happened to trigger the panic attack." Flynn asked, legs crossed, pen ready to write on his pad of paper._

 _She took a deep shuddering breath, tucking her hair behind her ears._

 _"We were just watching some silly movie that was on TV. One of those chick flicks, I don't remember the name but I know I've seen it before."_

 _"When did you last see it?"_

 _"I watched it with Carla one night before..._ he _.. came home, drunk with some friends."_

 _He nodded, scribbling on his pad of paper._

 _"Ana, what happened that night?"_

 _Ana paused, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose as she thought back._

 _"They were..._ really _drunk. And one of the friends wouldn't leave me alone. He kept... grabbing at me, and making vulgar comments..." Ana thought back to that moment, willing the memory to not be there, but it was still fresh in her mind._

 ** _**TRIGGER WARNING**_**

 _Ana let out a rare laugh as she watched the chick flick with her mother, almost enjoying the moments they had when Stephen wasn't around. But when the door opened with a BANG, she knew the fun was over._

 _Stephen stumbled into the house, along with four other friends, none of which Ana recognized._

 _"Stephen," Carla stood immediately and he grabbed her face, kissing her sloppily._

 _Ana stood, backing away from the couch for them to sit. One of the friends, a seedy looking man, stared at her, appraising her._

 _She immediately felt uncomfortable, especially when he approached her, slurring his words._

 _"Well, look at you... he told me about you." He said._

 _"Hello, nice to meet you." She extended a hand out of courtesy, though all bells in her head were going off._

 _Instead of shaking her hand, he leaned down, placing a sloppy kiss onto the skin. She grimaced._

 _"Ah, Jeffreyyyyy... I see you've met Ana... what did I tell you huh?" Stephen asked, clapping his hand down on the mans shoulder._

 _"She is... quite a sight."_

 _"Um, I'm going to go to my room now."_

 _Ana turned, without waiting for an answer, disappearing into her room where she buried her head into a good book until she fell asleep._

* * *

 _She felt something touching her, tickling her skin. She immediately opened her eyes, the room dark, but she could still see the shadowy figure above her. His fingertips slid down her chest, reaching for her breast before she screamed. The man placed his hand on her mouth. She could smell his alcohol filled breath, and it made her nauseous. His hand slid down her stomach and as a reaction she lifted her knee straight into his groin._

 _ ****TRIGGER WARNING OVER****_

 _"What happened then Ana?" Flynn asked, a frown on his face._

 _"Stephen and Carla came into the room. Carla freaked out that he was trying to... you know, but Stephen... he... he told me I was being a bad guest, and he hurt me. That seemed to be his usual reaction."_

 _ **Flashback Over**_

* * *

Since that day with Flynn, he had advised Ana to take up a kickboxing course, something would make her feel strengthened and less weak. He advised her that it was perfectly normal to be feeling the way she felt, and gave her a method of dealing with the panic attacks as they came on.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" She leaned back on her elbows and shivered as his fingertips slid along the sliver of skin that peaked out from her shirt.

She wondered if he knew that he had just groaned out loud. "How fucking delectable you look right now.." He said, hooking a finger in her waistband. She glanced at around to see no one, but still felt shy at the idea of being so public. She wiggled away from him much to his dismay.

"How about I pick a topic? Who was the girl at the Coping Together event? I've been wanting to ask you, but with the job and just... everything."

* * *

Christian frowned at her question, as he had already gone over all of the possible ways to explain this to her. He wondered whether to be honest, or to bend the truth. Whatever they had was seemingly normal, and the thought of screwing it up was more than unbearable to him.

"She's an ex." He stated simply, moving his fingertips back to that bare skin. Distraction at its finest.

"But you didn't date you said... so she's a... screw-buddy?"

He chortled, shaking his head. "One, it's fuck buddy." She grimaced at the words, "And two... not exactly."

She waited patiently, staring at him.

"We... we weren't exactly friends, it was just a mutual... agreement on sex."

Ana nodded like she understand, even though Christian knew it was only reactionary to what he was telling her.

"Ana, I don't want to talk about that." He said and he got onto his knees before crawling atop of her, pressing his lips lightly against her neck. She shuddered beneath his touch.

"Christian... do you think this is crazy? Like we're moving too fast or something? It's only been a month or so... and..." She stopped speaking the moment his lips found hers.

They molded together perfectly. He moved his lips against hers, and her body instantly reacting, pushing up into him.

He grinned against her lips before pulling away to stare at her. "Maybe." He replied, lifting a hand to run it through her hair. "But, I don't care." He moved off of her, laying next to her and propping himself on his elbows. "Ana, my entire life I feel like I haven't quite been... _living._ I've always felt like I was watching everything happen around me, but never quite took part. Except for my business of course."

Ana nodded at him, mimicking his position.

"With you... all of a sudden..." He intermingled his fingers within her own. "I feel alive."

She couldn't help but feel the same.


End file.
